Tide of Betrayal
by Luxio Nyx
Summary: After he and his brother are captured by a ruthless pirate captain, Alfred Jones is forced to go undercover on a rival pirate ship to save his brother. His mission: to kill Captain Arthur Kirkland. Pirate!USUK, summary is fail
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

_You know, in retrospect, I probably should have listened to Tony and stayed put_, Alfred F. Jones mused.

The blonde teenager yelped as one of the pirates shoved him roughly towards the ship, his feet catching at the edge of the gangplank that linked the ship to the pier. Behind him, he could hear his younger brother, Matthew Williams, grumble under his breath in French as another pirate tried to grope him again. Alfred struggled to look over his shoulder and glare at the Cuban pirate that kept molesting his brother, mentally promising to have the man's head when they got out of this mess.

"Come on, keep going!" one of the pirates yelled, his dark eyes flashing maliciously from behind his white face mask.

Alfred caught himself wondering why the guy needed to wear a mask before he was shoved onto the deck of the ship. He grunted as his knees made contact with the rough wooden planks of the deck and glared back at the pirate who had pushed him. The dark-haired pirate- wait, was that chick?- simply smirked at him, her green-brown eyes twinkling.

"Honhonhon~ Now, now, _mon cheri_," a silky voice chuckled. "We must be nice to our new guests, _oui_?"

Alfred glanced in the direction of the voice, his baby-blue eyes narrowing when he caught sight of the blonde haired man that was standing by the wheel of the ship, one of his perfectly manicured hand resting lightly on the wooden spokes. The man winked at Alfred and deftly pulled off his gaudy royal blue hat, his long blonde hair falling in perfect waves down his neck.

"_Bonjour,_ my handsome little guest," he cooed. "_Bienvenue_ to the _White Lily_. _Je m'appelle _Francis Bonnefoy. I am the captain of this fine ship."

"Dude, that's kind of a girly name for a boat," Alfred muttered.

Francis smirked and smacked the teenager across the face, his grin widening when the blow knocked Alfred's glasses off of his face.

"I do not think that you are in a position to talk, _mon cher_," he purred. The Frenchman turned to Matthew, his light blue eyes brightening at the sight of the slim man. "Ah, and who is this precious little gem?"

Matthew backed away from the captain, his lilac-blue eyes widening behind his glasses. He glanced at Alfred, his wispy blond hair barely hiding the panicked expression on his face.

"What is your name, _mon cher_?" Francis asked sweetly, his eyes flashing dangerously at Matthew's silence.

"M-Matthew Williams," the boy stuttered, his own eyes hardening in determination despite the softness of his voice.

"Honhonhon~ This one has spirit," the captain drawled. He raised his hand and drew one lazy finger across the length of Matthew's jaw, his gaze darkening with hunger when the blond shivered.

"Stay away from my brother!" Alfred snarled. He lunged for the Frenchman, only to be tackled by the masked pirate before he could get very far. Alfred gasped when the masked man's knee came into contact with his gut, his vision going white for a brief second as the air rushed out of his lungs.

"Sadik," Francis called warningly. "Remember, we must show courtesy to our guests, _non_? Tell me," the captain purred, his gaze now focused on the teenager that was being held down by Sadik. "Is your friend, how you say, a virgin?"

"Shut the hell up!" Alfred growled. "Don't you dare touch my brother."

"Or what?" Francis asked sweetly. "You aren't in any position to bargain with me, _mon ami_."

"Just leave him alone, okay? I'll do whatever you want," Alfred hissed.

"Ah, but your brother is so much cuter. However..." The Frenchman paused, his expression suddenly thoughtful. "Perhaps there is something you can do for me... Sadik, Alejandro, Belle, take our new guests down to the brig with the others. Tell Ludwig and Gilbert to give them some food, but nothing else. I must think..."

Sadik nodded and motioned towards the Cuban who had groped Matthew and the girl who had shoved Alfred onto the ship. The two nodded and pulled Matthew towards a small doorway set into the lower forecastle, while Sadik followed closely behind with a struggling Alfred.

Alfred couldn't hold back a gulp as he was dragged into the dark underworld of the lower decks, his blue eyes straining for one last glimpse of his home.

All he could see was the sky.

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"Y-you okay, Al?" Matthew whispered hoarsely. The blonde reached out with shaking hands, Alfred's glasses held between his fingers.

"Shh, don't talk yet Matt," Alfred hissed back. He reached out and took the glasses from his brother, his blue eyes narrowing as his eyes adjusted to the dim light. "Those two German bastards might be spying on us."

"Ve~! Ludwig doesn't spy! He's too nice for that!"

Alfred and Matthew jumped and whirled around, their eyes locking immediately on the two dark-haired boys that were huddled in the corner opposite them. One of them, apparently the one who had spoken, grinned and waved happily at them, causing the curl on the right side of his head to bounce excitedly.

"_Buon pomerrigio_!" he greeted cheerfully. "Are you our new friends? I like making friends! Ve, did you bring pasta? I like pasta too! Oh, I also like _mio fratello_ and Ludwig and Gilbert, although _fratello_ can be a little cranky some times... Ve~!"

"What the hell...?" Alfred muttered, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Uh... sorry, but who are you two?"

"We're prisoners," the other brunette snapped, his yellow eyes flashing furiously. "That wine bastard burned our village and took us away from our grandfather a few weeks ago. We've been down in this hell hole ever since."

"I-I'm so sorry," Matthew whispered quietly. "O-our village was burned as well. M-my brother's friend, Tony, told us to stay in our house while he went to find out what was going on b-but Alfred..."

"Look, I'm sorry, okay?" Alfred snapped. "I just... I couldn't let Tony go off by himself! I'm the hero, right?"

"Yeah, looks like you're the hero that got yourself captured." The man with the yellow eyes snorted and looked away, his gaze focused intently on the wall beside him.

"Ve~ Sorry about Lovino!" the other brunette giggled. "He gets a bit cranky sometimes..."

"I think I fucking have the right to be fucking cranky, Feliciano!" Lovino growled. "God, why do you have to be such an idiot?"

Feliciano's mouth trembled and he looked down at the floor, his hazel eyes filling with tears.

"Kesesese~ Aw, come on Lovino," a new voice broke in. "It's so unawesome to make your brother cry. Maybe you should comfort him, West."

"Please be quiet, bruder."

Alfred stiffened and glanced in the direction of the new voices, his eyes narrowing when he caught sight of the two Germans that had locked him in the cell only minutes earlier. The blonde placed himself protectively in front of Matthew, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. If they tried anything...

"Kesesese~ Relax, kid," the albino called Gilbert chuckled, his red eyes glinting mischievously. "We're not going to try anything. We're on your side."

Alfred snorted. Right, they were on his side. That was why he was stuck in a cell with two insane Italians on a ship run by some pervert that wanted to molest his brother.

"Believe us or not, we do want to help," the other German, Ludwig, stated flatly. The blonde German slipped into the cell and knelt by the sniffling Feliciano, a weary sigh breaking through his lips. "We have pasta."

"Ve~?" The Italian perked up immediately, his curl bouncing happily. "Pasta? Where?"

Ludwig chuckled dryly and allowed the boy to grab the steaming bowl full of pasta out of his hands, his light blue eyes lingering on Feliciano's face for a little longer than was necessary. Lovino glared at the blonde German and smacked him on the back of the head, his yellow eyes flashing dangerously.

"Keep your hands off of my fratello, potato bastard," he snarled.

Ludwig rolled his eyes and effortlessly shook off the angry Italian before handing him another bowl of pasta.

"What do you two eat?" the German asked flatly, his attention now focused on the other two prisoners.

"Uh... w-what ever you want us to eat?" Matthew mumbled uncertainly.

Gilbert snickered and sidled past his brother to kneel in front of the trembling blonde, his scarlet eyes gleaming mischievously.

"Really?" he purred, his pale fingers tracing lightly across Matthew's rapidly reddening cheeks. "You'll eat _anything_ we want you to?"

"I- P-please back off," Matthew stuttered, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "I-I'm not- T-there's- I c-can't-"

"Aw, already taken, are you?" Gilbert whined, his lips pursed in a pout. "Such a shame..."

Ludwig sighed wearily and roughly pushed the albino out of the way before either Alfred or Matthew could attack him. The blonde German stiffened as footsteps sounded nearby, his blue eyes zeroing in on the figure that had appeared at the entrance to the cell.

"Francis wants to see the one blonde, Matthew's brother," the voice called flatly.

Ludwig nodded stiffly and dragged Alfred out of the cell towards the newcomer, ignoring the protests that erupted from his newest prisoners. "Where do I take him?"

The newcomer shrugged and walked away, not even bothering to look back and see if the German was following him. Ludwig sighed and adjusted his grip on the struggling Alfred before following the other man.

"Be quiet," the German hissed to Alfred as the young man struggled again. "_Und_ be still. If you are good and respectful, Francis won't hurt you or your brother as much."

Alfred paused in his struggles for a moment, his blue eyes tightening at the mention of Matthew. "If that bastard touches my brother..."

"You can't do anything about it," Ludwig snapped, his eyes flashing with suppressed anger. "It will just be worse if you try and fight."

Alfred glanced at the man holding him and nodded in a rare moment of understanding.

"Who did he hurt?" he asked quietly. "You or your brother?"

"_Mein bruder_," Ludwig replied softly, his lips tightening ever-so-slightly as if to hold back a wave of emotion. The German shook off the moment of weakness and glared warningly at Alfred. "Behave and just do as Francis tells you. Believe me, it will be worse for everyone if you do not."

Alfred nodded slowly, slightly annoyed that the German wasn't telling him the entire story. Of course, technically it wasn't any of his business but he was the hero! Heroes had to know these things so they could save the day! Plus, he was sort of curious...

"We're here," Ludwig stated, interrupting Alfred's thoughts.

Alfred glanced up and noticed that they were back up on deck, the sunlight warming playing across his tanned skin in greeting. He smiled up at the blue sky, only to have that smile fade when a nearby door was thrown open and he was shoved back into the darkness.

"Don't do anything stupid," Ludwig hissed just before the door closed.

And then Alfred was alone...

"Honhonhon~ Come here, _mon cher_. We have things to discuss."

Well, almost alone.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Captain Francis Bonnefoy watched as the blonde in front of him shifted warily, his eyes narrowing beneath his wavy golden locks as he contemplated the boy.

"_Oui_," he murmured, almost to himself. "You will do... Tell me, _mon cher_, what is your name?"

"Wh- Alfred," Alfred muttered reluctantly, remembering Ludwig's warning to behave. "Alfred F. Jones."

"_Int__é__ressant_... Tell me, Alfred, what would you do for your brother?"

"Anything," Alfred said before he could stop himself.

Francis chuckled, his cornflower-blue eyes glinting with approval for the boy's loyalty.

"_Tr__è__s bien_," he purred. "Anything, you say?"

"Yes," the boy replied firmly, his chin raised in determination.

"Even kill?"

Alfred visibly deflated, his baby-blue eyes darkening at the thought. He had never killed anything before... Heroes didn't do that sort of thing, after all. Besides, what if the French bastard asked him to kill someone innocent, like that Italian, Feliciano? But... If it would save Matthew...

"Who?" Alfred whispered, his voice suddenly hoarse and unsure.

Francis's smile widened at the reaction he had gotten from the cocky young man and leaned forward in his seat, his lips curving upwards into a predatory grin.

"His name is Arthur Kirkland," the Frenchman explained, a small touch of bitterness entering his tone at the mention of the man. "He is the captain of the pirate ship _The Emerald Dragon_ and is docked at Port Leone not far from here with his crew."

Alfred nodded slowly, trying to feel some sort of relief that his intended target wasn't exactly innocent. Hell, if this Kirkland was anything like Francis, Alfred might actually enjoy killing him... Maybe.

"You, _mon cher_ Alfred, will be dropped off outside of Port Leone and picked up by the _Dragon_. You will find a way to join the crew and gain Captain Kirkland's trust. Once you have your opening, use it and kill him. You will have until the the winter solstice to complete your task, since _Monsieur_ Kirkland is at his weakest during that time. I will come for you on the solstice to see if you have succeeded. If you have, you and your brother will go free at the nearest port, and your brother will not be touched. However, if you should fail..." The Frenchman paused and gave Alfred a dangerous smile, his blue eyes cold as ice. "Well, I think you know what will happen then, _oui_?"

Alfred nodded and clenched his jaw, trying to seem unfazed by the Frenchman's threats. He was _not_ scared... Heroes didn't get scared! And they most certainly did not tremble at the thought of what a certain French pirate would do as punishment...

"_Merveilleux!_" Francis said cheerfully, his threatening smile morphing easily into a pleased grin. "We will send you off tomorrow, _comprendre_? In the meantime, you may go and say your farewells to that lovely brother of yours..."

Alfred nodded and forced himself to walk out of the room, praying that the shaking in his legs wasn't visible to the watchful pirate. He felt his face redden when he heard the Frenchman's laugh and slammed the door behind him with unnecessary force, his eyes meeting Ludwig's gaze immediately from behind his glasses.

"Well?" Ludwig asked quietly, his light blue eyes slightly concerned for the obviously-flustered young man.

Alfred shuddered as the full meaning of his task dawned on him, his skin paling to a ghostly white.

"T-two months," he whispered hoarsely. "I h-have t-two months to k-kill him." _God, I sound like Mattie now_, he groaned mentally.

"Who?" Ludwig demanded, his brow furrowing uneasily.

"Arthur Kirkland."

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"Al... You can't do this."

Alfred closed his eyes wearily, praying for his brother to stop talking. "I don't _want_ to do it, Mattie, but I have to. You know that."

"No," Matthew argued quietly, his lilac eyes intense behind the slim wire frames of his glasses. "You don't have to do this, Al."

"Yes, I do," Alfred growled, his teeth clenching as he tried not to yell at his brother. They couldn't argue now... Not when they had so little time left together. "If I do this, you'll be safe and we'll be free. That's all that matters."

"Is it, though?" Matthew pressed. "What about your hero logic, Al? You can't kill someone, it's just not in your nature."

"What if it becomes part of my nature?" Alfred argued. "You know, out of necessity."

"Then... you wouldn't be you," his brother whispered, his wispy blond hair barely hiding the sorrowful expression on his face. Matthew took a deep breath and pulled his older brother into a tight hug, his arms trembling. "Just... be careful, okay? Don't do anything you'll regret for my sake."

Alfred sighed and returned the embrace for a brief moment, his blue eyes tightly shut beneath his glasses. He wouldn't cry... Heroes did not cry...

"You be careful too, got it?" he mumbled. "Don't let these bastards mess with you." He paused as he gently removed himself from Matthew's grip, his expression sad. "I'll come back as soon as I can, okay? Then we'll go back home and find Tony and everything will go back to normal."

Matthew smiled weakly, his lips trembling ever-so-slightly. "If you say so..."

"Of course I do! I'm the hero!" Alfred crowed, the ghost of his usual smile flickering across his face.

"Hey, Hero," Gilbert called flatly from the door to the cell. "It's time to go."

Alfred nodded and pulled away from his sibling, his eyes going briefly to the Italian twins that had been silently watching him the entire time.

"Watch out for my brother, okay?" he told them seriously.

"_Si_!" Feliciano chirped, his cheerful voice contrasting oddly with the sadness in his hazel eyes. "We will. And so will Ludwig and Gilbert!"

Ludwig grunted noncommittally but nodded all the same as he came to stand beside his albino brother.

"Come on, Alfred," he sighed. "The Captain doesn't like to be kept waiting."

Alfred nodded and flashed one final smile at his brother before following the German siblings up onto the main deck. He stared longingly at the clear sky above the ship before turning reluctantly to face the smirking French captain.

"Are you ready, _mon cher_?" Francis purred.

Alfred nodded mutely and glanced around at the ocean surrounding them, his brow furrowing when he saw nothing but water.

"Uh, weren't you supposed to drop me off at some port?" he asked, confused.

"_Non_," Francis replied silkily. "I said _outside_ of Port Leone, _oui_? This is where you take your leave, _mon ami_."

"Wait, how-"

Alfred broke off with a gasp as Sadik and the Cuban grabbed him by the shoulders and hauled him overboard, his hands reaching up automatically to grab his glasses before they flew off of his face. The breath rushed out of him as his body made contact with the ocean water, only to be quickly replaced by the salty liquid that rushed into his lungs. Alfred choked and pushed himself back to the surface, his hands slamming into the rough surface of a barrel that had been thrown in after him. Alfred pulled himself onto of the barrel, his breaths still coming in spluttering gasped. He heard a faint "honhonhon~" from somewhere above him before something hard struck him across the back of the head and his world went black.

**Hey all! Yeah, so, I figured I might as well get this up now since I won't have time tomorrow (don't you love how free time becomes really rare during the school year?). Also, in case I didn't mention it in the last chapter, I don't own Hetalia. Or ships. Or pirates. Or... Okay, I don't own anything, hehe.**

**Also, thanks to the people who read/reviewed this story (not sure if anyone favorited it yet, didn't get a chance to check...). You guys are awesome, and please keep reviewing. Please? Reviews make me really happy and totally make up for the bad days I've been having lately. So... Review! :)**

**Oh yeah (and I promise this is the last rant!) sorry that this chapter is a little shorter than the last one... although I won't apologize for the cliffhanger! Hahaha! Anyways, I promise that the next one will be longer!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Someone was poking him.

Alfred wasn't quite sure who was doing the poking- or _why_ for that matter- but he knew that someone was stubbornly poking his forehead.

And it was getting really annoying.

"... Jack-san? I don't think that you should be poking him like that..."

"Aw, c'mon, mate," a voice with a heavy Australian accent whined, his deep voice somehow managing to sound remarkably childlike. "It's damned boring on this ship right now, and I need something to entertain myself with."

"Give up, Kiku," another voice- this one female- broke in. "Jack's too busy being an ass to listen to you."

"Shut up, Kate!"

Alfred groaned and wrenched open his eyes, a low hiss breaking through his lips when sunlight immediately slammed mercilessly into his irises. He blinked slowly to clear his vision, his heart pounding in alarm when he saw three faces staring down at him.

"Hey, he's alive!" a man with curly sandy brown hair exclaimed, his dark green eyes glittering against his tanned skin.

"No shit, Jack," a woman with long dark hair snapped, her light brown eyes flashing in annoyance at the man's antics. She glanced down at Alfred with mild curiosity before turning to the third member of the group, a slim Asian man with carefully cropped black hair and unreadable brown eyes. "What are we going to do with him, Kiku?"

The man, Kiku, didn't answer for a moment, his brown eyes watching Alfred thoughtfully. After a moment, he nodded and turned back to the woman.

"We should ask Arthur-dono for his opinion," Kiku stated firmly.

Alfred froze at the mention of Arthur, wondering if they were talking about the man he was supposed to kill. The woman stiffened as well, her expression suddenly wary.

"Uh... I'm not sure that's a good idea, mate," the man called Jack piped up, his brow furrowed nervously. "The Cap'n doesn't really like it when people wake him up after he's had a... long night."

"Yeah, and I'm not in the mood to get my head lopped off for wakin' him up when he's hungover," the woman added.

Kiku winced at the woman's choice of words and sighed in defeat.

"Very well... Jack-san, please help this stranger to his feet and make sure that he stays here. Kate-san, please make sure that the rest of the crew are doing what they're supposed to. I will go and wake up Arthur-dono."

Jack and Kate nodded and shot Kiku sympathetic looks as he walked away. Alfred followed the Asian man with his eyes, noticing for the first time that he was on the deck of another ship. This one was smaller than Francis's, he noted, and more worn, as if it had seen its fair share of battles.

Which, if this Arthur Kirkland was really a pirate captain, it probably had.

Jack grinned down at Alfred and offered him a large hand, which he cautiously took. The large man hauled Alfred easily to his feet and watched with amusement as the thinner blonde took a few moments to steady himself. Alfred reached up and touched the glasses that were still miraculously perched on his nose, a small sigh of relief making its way through his lips. Jack chuckled and slapped Alfred hard on the back, nearly knocking the blonde's glasses off of his face.

"So, what brings you to this fine ship?" the man asked cheerfully. "Adventure? The romantic and wonderful life of piracy?"

"Uh... No," Alfred admitted, his cheeks reddening slightly at the man's words. No way would he, the hero, ever be tempted by such evil!

Jack nodded as if he understood something and winked at the other man, a wry grin twisting his lips.

"So, what, you messed with the wrong girl and she threw ya into the ocean? It's okay, mate, happens to the best of us."

"Wha- I- No, that's totally not what happened!" Alfred spluttered, even more shocked by this suggestion than he had been by the first. What was with this guy?

Jack frowned, looking slightly confused. "So... were you drunk?"

"No," Alfred sighed, his voice slightly sharp with annoyance.

"Aw, can you through me a bone, mate?" Jack whined, looking genuinely confused now. "I'm just trying to find out why we found you knocked out and hugging a barrel in the middle of the ocean! Seriously, what happened? I'm dying to know, mate!"

Alfred frowned. Okay, he hadn't really thought about that... Although it probably should have occurred to him that these people would want a reason for his sudden appearance...

"Uh... I kissed this girl and her brother threw me in the ocean and knocked me out," he explained. This wasn't exactly a lie... It had happened to him back home once... although the girl had pretty much thrown him into the ocean without the help of her brother...

Jack whistled appreciatively and winked at Alfred, his grin widening. "Nice one, mate. Although, word of advice, next time you kiss a sheila, make sure she's an only child. Brothers can be nasty little buggers when it comes to their sisters." The larger man leaned closer, his dark eyes suddenly narrowed in a threatening glare. "Speaking of which, I suggest you stay away from my sister Kate. You fool around with her, and I won't be the only one throwing you in the ocean, mate. And I won't be nice enough to give you a barrel to hold onto."

Alfred gulped an nodded fervently. Yeah, no way was he scared by this guy... Okay, maybe a little...

"What the bloody hell is so important that you had to wake me up, Kiku?" a furious voice growled, causing both Jack and Alfred to jump. Alfred whirled around to find the source of the voice, his eyes going immediately to the figure that was striding purposefully towards them, a flushed and apologetic Kiku at his side. Alfred tried not to stare when he got a closer look at the newcomer, his blue eyes traveling unwillingly to the large bushy eyebrows that were furrowed above the man's flashing emerald eyes.

The man glared at Alfred and pulled his scarlet feathered hat slightly lower on his head, as if sensing what the cause of Alfred's distraction was. Alfred blushed and looked down, his eyes raking over the bright red coat trimmed with gold that had been thrown over the man's ruffled white shirt before focusing intently on the black leather boots that nearly reached the man's knee.

"N-nice boots," Alfred mumbled. He grimaced when he realized what had come out of his mouth, mentally berating himself for saying something so stupid.

The stranger raised one bushy eyebrow and snorted contemptuously.

"Charming," he sneered. The man glanced sideways at Kiku, who flushed sheepishly at the annoyed expression on the man's face. "What's so important about this imbecile, Kiku? Besides that fact that he may well be the only human being on the planet without a brain."

"Hey!" Alfred broke in before Kiku could say anything. "I totally have a brain!"

"Of course you do," the man chuckled condescendingly.

"Arthur-dono," Kiku murmured. "We found him floating in the ocean unconscious. I thought perhaps that you would like to know."

Alfred's eyes narrowed at this and he studied the other man, Arthur. Was this Arthur Kirkland?

"The only thing that I want to know right now is why you didn't just let this idiot drown," Arthur snapped.

_You know, maybe it won't be so hard to kill this guy_, Alfred thought sourly.

Kiku flushed and mumbled something about it not being polite, causing Arthur to sigh exasperatedly.

"Very well," Arthur grumbled. "What the bloody hell do you want to do with him, then? He doesn't look like he's important enough to get a good ransom."

"I could work for you!" Alfred piped up cheerfully, earning himself a glare from Arthur. "Well, I could," he continued when Kiku and Jack looked doubtful. "I'm the hero! Heroes are great at doing stuff, so working on a ship won't be much of a problem!"

"A hero, huh?" Arthur sneered. "Tell me, _hero_, have you ever fought to the death with someone? Have you ever _killed_ anyone? Do you even know a thing about the life of a pirate?"

_I know you're all evil bastards that like to hurt innocent people like my brother to get what you want. _"Uh... No? To... all of the above?"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Then what use are you to me?"

"Arthur-dono..." Kiku murmured. "Perhaps we can keep him for a little while... until we reach the next port, at least. We are short a few people from the last attack..."

Arthur frowned at Kiku's words and glanced over at Alfred thoughtfully, seeming to weigh his options. Finally, he sighed in defeat and nodded.

"Fine," he agreed reluctantly. "Let the wanker stay. But only until the next port."

"Yay!" Alfred crowed. Without thinking, he bounded forward and pulled Arthur into a tight hug, apparently oblivious to the shorter man's indignant spluttering. "Thanks, Artie!"

Arthur growled and twisted out of Alfred's grip, throwing the taller man to the ground in less than a second.

"You will address me as Captain," Arthur Kirkland snarled, his emerald eyes flashing beneath his large red hat. "And I refuse to be... touched in such an inappropriate fashion, Mr..."

"Alfred," Alfred piped up cheerfully. "Alfred F. Jones!"

Arthur stared at him incredulously, a small corner of his lips quirking upwards in the barest hint of a smile.

"Very well, _Jones_," he sneered. "Get to work."

And with that, the captain turned and strode across the deck, his scarlet coat almost glowing in the bright sunlight beating down onto the shimmering blue ocean. Alfred found himself staring at the tiniest strand of shaggy gold hair that was peeking out from below the captain's hat, his mouth curving upwards into an involuntary smile.

"Aye aye, Captain!" he called loudly across the ship, immediately getting the attention of the rest of the crew.

Captain Kirkland paused for a second and glared at Alfred before striding up to join Kate and another Asian at the wheel, his expression abruptly business-like. Alfred grinned at the display and cheerfully followed Jack as the Australian explained his duties, his mood immediately dampening when he remembered that he would have to kill the amusing and infuriating captain.

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"... And this is the kitchen!" Jack crowed as he gestured towards the cramped cooking area, his dark green eyes glittering cheerfully.

"Jack, get this idiot out of my kitchen, aru," a slim Asian man with long dark hair pulled back in a pony tail snapped, his flushed face barely visible over the large wok in his arms. Another Asian man with slightly shorter dark hair and an unreadable expression glanced once at Alfred before turning back to the stove, his dark red sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

"Aw, c'mon Yao!" Jack whined. "I'm just trying to be nice! This here's the new guy! Al, this is Yao Wang and his nephew, Li. The Captain hired them in China to help out in the kitchen."

"Kitchens were invented in Korea, daze!" a new voice cried out from behind them, causing Alfred to jump. A man with flowing blue and white robes giggled and slipped past Alfred into the kitchen, a single strand of his dark hair bouncing gaily with every step he took. Alfred blinked and stared at the newcomer, immediately recognizing the Asian that he had seen at the helm with Kate.

"This is Im Yong Soo," Yao stated flatly. "He makes my life a living hell."

Yong Soo pouted and flung his arms around Yao, ignoring the Chinese man's annoyed grumblings.

"Don't be mean!" Yong Soo whined. "You know you love me, Yao! Love was invented-"

"Shut up, Yong Soo," Li murmured quietly from his place at the stove.

Yong Soo pouted, his smile quickly returning when he caught sight of Alfred and Jack standing in the doorway.

"Hi!" he called happily. "I'm from Korea!"

"Yeah... I think we got that, mate," Jack muttered. He rolled his eyes at Alfred and walked out of the kitchen, not even bothering to look and see if Alfred was following him.

"So," Jack said cheerfully. "That's about everythin'. Well, except the Captain's quarters, but I suspect you won't see those. Cap'n likes to keep to himself, you know."

"Really?" Alfred retorted sarcastically. "I never would've guessed."

Jack paused and glanced down at the smaller man, his expression abruptly serious.

"Go easy on Arthur, mate," he murmured. "He hasn't had the easiest life."

"And, what, you think mine's been a walk in the park so far?" Alfred challenged.

"Probably not," the Australian admitted. "I'm just sayin', don't go judging a guy before you get to know 'im."

"He's a pirate," Alfred snapped without thinking. "That's all I need to know."

Jack stiffened, his expression darkening ever-so-slightly. "Watch your mouth, mate. You _are_ a pirate now."

Alfred felt his face heat up and nodded, not quite able to ignore the hurt look in the Australian's eyes.

"Sorry, man," he sighed.

Jack shrugged and clapped Alfred on the shoulder, some of his good humor returning as he grinned down at the shorter man.

"No worries," he drawled. "Now c'mon. I need to actually get _some_ work done before tonight. Kate will put me on sentry duty tonight if I don't."

Alfred nodded and followed the Australian back up to the main deck, his eyes flickering unconsciously to the place where Arthur stood, his slim hands expertly adjusting the wheel as he navigated the ship through the open sea. The pirate captain glanced down at Alfred for a brief moment, his emerald eyes narrowing the moment their gazes locked. Alfred stared back, unable to look away until the other man turned back to the sea.

Alfred sighed and followed Jack to the main mast, his mind wandering every so often as the Australian tried to explain the mechanics of the ship.

He was not fascinated by Arthur Kirkland... Just curious. Yeah, curious. Nothing else.

Alfred F. Jones watched Jack climb up into the rigging of the ship and sighed, his eyes straying to the cerulean sky stretching above them to the horizon.

If only it was easier to lie to himself...

**Haha, sorry this took so long to put up... Oh well, at least it's up, da? Er... Okay, I actually don't have any comments to make right now, so... thanks to everyone who reviewed/favorited the story so far! Please keep it up! Review! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"_Jones!_"

Alfred jumped and looked back down at the deck from his place in the rigging, a smile immediately appearing on his face when he caught sight of the British pirate captain glaring up at him. Besides him, Jack bit back a laugh and shrunk back into the cover of the billowing sails, eager to escape Captain Kirkland's wrath.

"Yes, sir?" he called back innocently.

"Would you mind telling me what the bloody hell you're doing up there?"

"Um..." Alfred glanced over at Jack, who was now shaking with barely-concealed laughter. "What do you _think_ we're doing?"

Arthur snarled something unintelligible, causing the two men above him to giggle.

"What was that, sir?" Alfred asked sweetly. "I couldn't really hear you..."

"I said you're bloody daft if you think that blasted trick will work on me!" Arthur roared. "Now get the hell down here this instant, Jones, or I swear I'll come up there and get you."

"Really? You'd come and get me?" Alfred giggled, pretending to sound pleased. "Gosh, I'm flattered, Captain! But I guess it would be more polite for me to come down there, seeing as I don't want to tire you out."

"What's that supposed to mean, git?" Arthur growled, his emerald eyes watching Alfred carefully as the younger blonde began to descend from the rigging.

"Nothing," Alfred huffed, his hands drifting almost unconsciously to the handholds that Jack had pointed out to him only hours ago. "I just don't want you to waste your strength... old man."

Jack gave a shout of laughter, effectively ruining his hiding spot. Arthur glared up at the half-hidden Australian before turning his murderous gaze to Alfred, his hands inching towards the sword strapped to his side as if he longed to use it.

"Wanker..." the captain muttered darkly.

"Aw, c'mon, Artie!" Alfred crowed as he finally reached the deck. The blonde reached out and effortlessly pulled the pirate into a bone-crushing hug, his blue eyes glittering mischievously. "It was only a joke! You're too cute to be an old man!"

Arthur snarled and yanked roughly on the collar of Alfred's shirt, his wrists twisting mid-yank. Alfred yelped as his body was thrown onto the deck, his eyes widening behind his glasses when he saw the furious pirate looming over him.

"I do not tolerate disrespect on my ship, Jones," Arthur snapped. "I warned you against such indecent contact and you ignored me." The Briton's lips quirked upwards for a brief moment at the stunned expression on the other man's face before settling back into a grim frown. "And my name is not Artie. Ghastly nickname... Figures a wanker like you would come up with it..." The pirate shuddered delicately at the thought of the hated name and looked back down at the current object of his irritation, ignoring the small crowd of crew members that were gathering behind him to watch.

"Now then," Arthur said with false sweetness. "What exactly were you doing up there in the rigging?"

"Er... I..."

"Pardon? I'm afraid I can't hear you, Jones," Arthur prompted cheerfully.

"Uh... I was... drawing... on the sails..."

"Oh? And what, pray tell, were you drawing?"

Alfred glanced up at Captain Kirkland, slightly surprised. Was that genuine curiosity in the man's voice? No, probably not... The guy was just acting to humiliate him further.

"Uh... Bunnies," he mumbled. "I... was drawing bunny rabbits on the sails."

Arthur blinked in shock and stared down at the younger man, confusion temporarily replacing the irritation in his eyes. "Rabbits? Why on earth would you draw rabbits?"

"Um..." Alfred hesitated, remembering how Jack had given him the idea by telling him about the captain's habit of talking to an invisible 'flying mint bunny' when he thought that no one was looking. "I dunno... I like rabbits." There. That wasn't a _complete_ lie... He did like rabbits, most of the time... unless they bit him like that one nasty white one...

"Really?" Arthur murmured, sounding suddenly bored with the conversation.

Alfred winced but forced himself to continue. The longer he talked, the more chance he had of getting closer to the captain.

"Yeah. I'm the rabbit guy in the family, I guess," he said brightly. "My brother likes bears more though... He actually _has_ a pet polar bear. Or, he used to..." Alfred's face darkened slightly at the memory of his lost home and family, guilt rising in his stomach. Was Matthew doing alright? Were the other prisoners and those odd German siblings keeping their promises and looking after him?

Something warm grasped his shoulder, causing Alfred to glance up in surprise. Arthur stared back at him, the smallest hint of sympathy flickering in his jewel-like green eyes.

"It's alright to miss the ones we care about," the captain murmured, his voice so quiet that Alfred wondered if he had been meant to hear it. The pirate straightened immediately after his statement, his face hardening into an unreadable mask. "Don't slip up again, Jones," the pirate said coolly. "It'll be the last thing you do on this ship."

Alfred nodded. "Yes sir!" he said brightly.

Arthur's left eye twitched in annoyance and he turned away, his coat flaring out behind him in a wave of red. The captain frowned when he saw the crowd of crew members gathered around him, his lips tightening in displeasure.

"Well, what are you lot standing around for?" he growled. "The show is over, get back to work!"

The crew hurried to obey the captain, leaving only Kate and Kiku behind. Arthur nodded towards the two remaining crewmen before stomping purposefully towards his cabin, his golden hair flashing briefly in the sun before it disappeared into the gloom of his personal room. Alfred watched the pirate go, his brow furrowed in slight annoyance. Okay, so maybe seducing the captain would be a little harder than he thought...  
>Jack laughed as he landed on the deck behind Alfred, his dark green eyes glittering mischievously beneath his sandy blonde hair.<p>

"Nice one, Al," he chuckled. "Yeh nearly got yourself a one-way ticket back to the ocean with that stunt."

Alfred winced and glared half-heartedly at the still-chuckling Australian. "Should you really be joking about my near escape from death? Dude, Ar- the captain nearly _killed_ me back there!"

"Naw," Jack snorted, his expression disbelieving. "Cap'n's a tough mate, but he'd never kill a member of the crew unless they betrayed him. Drawing rabbits on the sails and huggin' him is hardly cause for killing yeh."

"Agreed," Kiku spoke up quietly. "Although, I do suggest that you stop testing Arthur-dono, Alfred-san. His patience can only go so far."

"Meaning, Arthur probably wasn't joking about throwing you off the side of the ship," Kate added dryly. "You're cute, Alfred Jones, but not that cute."

Alfred grinned sheepishly and nodded.

"So... what do I do now?" he asked hesitantly.

"Take the night watch with Li-san and Kate-san," Kiku ordered softly. "Jack-san, you may rest."

The Australian cheered and raced down below deck, barely sparing Alfred a wave before disappearing below. Alfred pouted and glanced up over at the horizon, slightly surprised to see shoots of red and orange bleeding into deep blue as the sun set beneath the waves. Kiku smiled slightly at the blonde's fascination and gave him a tentative pat on the shoulder before following Jack below. Kate merely snorted and dragged Alfred over to helm. She shoved him up the stairs and pointed at Li, who was standing silently at the wheel.

"You stay up here with Li and make sure we stay on course," she ordered. "Keep him awake and don't touch the wheel. You'd likely screw up and send us off the edge of the earth since you're new at this. I'll be up in the crow's nest watching for ships. If you hear me yell, get Arthur. If you see any crew members sneaking around on deck, get Jack or Kiku. Any questions?"

Alfred shook his head silently, struggling to remember everything the girl had told him. Something about crows and Arthur? Kate rolled her eyes at the blonde's clueless expression and glanced over at Li, who had been watching them out of the corner of his eyes.

"Make sure he doesn't screw this up, Li," she sighed.

The Asian nodded quietly and turned back to the sea. Kate gave Alfred a rough slap on the back before darting towards the main mast. Alfred watched her scurry up the mast, her dark head disappearing briefly behind the billowing white sails before reappearing at the top.

"So," he said loudly, his attention going immediately to the quiet Asian man at the wheel. "Guess it's just you and me, huh?"

Li didn't answer, his dark eyes never leaving the stars and the ocean.

"So, where are you from? I know your uncle's from China and that other guy... what's-his-name... Yeah, he's from Korea, right?"

The Asian hummed but didn't answer. Alfred pouted at this lack of communication and turned his attentions to the indigo sky spread out above them, his sky-blue eyes flickering from star to star. Damn, these stars were beautiful...

"You gawk as if you have never seen the stars before," Li remarked coolly, a tiny hint of amusement in his voice.

"Yeah... Well, I don't always get out a lot at night," Alfred chuckled. "I was usually stuck in my room, trying to invent things, trying to make things work better... My parents used to call me a dreamer before they died, although my brother always supported my ideas. Ha, Matt even used to sneak in at night to try and help me invent things..." Alfred's voice trailed off at the thought of his brother, his expression darkening.

"You miss him," Li stated flatly.

"Is it that obvious?" Alfred chuckled darkly.

"Yes," Li replied with brutal honesty. After a moment, the Asian added "So, why did you leave him if you miss him so much?"

Alfred stiffened and avoided the other man's questioning gaze. "I had no choice."

Li nodded in understanding and turned back to the sea, deciding not to press the matter further.

"So, where do you come from?" Alfred asked.

Li chuckled. "You don't have any sense of propriety, do you?"

"What?"

Li's laughed again. "I mean, you don't care about sticking your nose into other peoples' personal business, do you?"

"Huh, you sound just like my brother," Alfred mused.

Li shook his head in exasperation and cast an amused glance in the blonde's direction.

"I am from an area of China," he said. "My home was.. a small province, although we had a lot of trade from other nations. It is known as Hong Kong."

Alfred nodded. He had heard of the Chinese port city from Tony before the pirate attack.

"So... Did ya like it there?"

Li chuckled and turned back to the ocean.

"I think that I have had enough talking," he murmured. "You should get back to your job before Kate comes back and yells at you."

Alfred winced and resumed watching the ocean, his brow furrowing as thoughts of Matthew flickered through his mind. Damn, he couldn't believe that it had taken so long for him to remember his brother...

"Please be okay, Matt," Alfred sighed.

Matthew Williams shuddered and slid further into the corner of his cell as the Cuban from Francis's crew slipped into the cell. His violet eyes widened as Alejandro approached the two Italian twins that huddled on the other end of the cell. The twins stiffened and stared up at the Cuban with wide, frightened eyes. Alejandro smirked, enjoying the fear in their gazes. Without a word, he stooped and roughly yanked the older twin, Lovino, up from the ground. Lovino screamed and let loose a long string of swear words, his arms flailing uselessly in an attempt to free himself from the larger man's grip.

Feliciano cried out and tried to get to his brother, only to be held back by Gilbert as the albino came up behind him.

"Hurry up and get the kid out of here, Alejandro," Gilbert snarled.

The Cuban shrugged and flashed a final smirk at the younger Italian before dragging the screaming Lovino out of the prison.

Feliciano choked on his cries and slumped limply in Gilbert's grip, his shaking hands reaching up to cover his streaming eyes.

"_F-fratello_," he croaked. "W-what are they g-going to my _fratello_?"

"Sorry, kid," Gilbert sighed, his scarlet eyes tightening. He glanced up to meet Matthew's curious and horror-stricken gaze, his jaw tightening even more.

"I didn't know that you were awake, Birdie," he muttered.

Matthew frowned at the new nickname, not entirely sure how the albino had come up with _that_.

"Wh-what's going on?" the blonde asked quietly.

"Francis has had another idea," Ludwig stated flatly. The blonde German walked quietly into the room, his blue eyes locked on the sobbing Feliciano still clutched in his brothers arms.

Ludwig sighed and hurried into the cell, his expression conflicted as he glanced down at the Italian. Feliciano sniffed and stared up at the German, his hazel eyes filling with tears once more.

"V-ve, what idea?" he asked quietly. "W-why does he want my _f-fratello_?"

"He wanted you," Ludwig admitted softly, his cheeks reddening in embarrassment. "But.. I convinced him to leave you here."

Gilbert smirked and backed away from the remaining Italian. Feliciano barely noticed, his hazel eyes locked on Ludwig with something akin to horror.

"You... did what? Why?" he nearly shrieked, his eyes tightening.

Ludwig flinched at the accusation in the Italian's tone, his blue eyes flickering uneasily towards the blonde Canadian that was watching the entire interaction.

"I-I couldn't let him send you," he muttered. "You... Francis's missions are dangerous. Hardly anyone survives and you... you wouldn't have had a chance."

"So you let _mio_ _fratello_ take my place?" Feliciano demanded. "How is that okay? You save me by letting Lovino die in my place?"

"Dude, Feli, calm down," Gilbert interrupted from beside Matthew.

Matthew jumped and stared at Gilbert, wondering how the albino had managed to sneak up behind him without his noticing. The albino simply winked before turning back to the Italian that was still glaring at his brother.

"Listen, Feli," Gilbert sighed. "I know West screwed up but he was really just trying to protect you, okay?"

Feliciano said nothing, his expression unusually somber. The Italian glanced up at the German one final time before turning away, his auburn head bent over his shaking hands. Ludwig watched him for a moment, his clear blue eyes hurt, before her turned away and left the room, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

"I'm going up to see if they've made anything for dinner yet," he called hollowly.

Feliciano flinched at the sound of Ludwig's voice but refused to look up, leaving Gilbert and Matthew in uncomfortable silence.

The albino sighed and glanced over at Matthew, his lips turning down into a frown when he saw the stricken expression on the blonde's features.

"You okay, Birdie?" he asked carefully.

Matthew shook his head, his violet eyes pained behind his glasses.

"I- what did Ludwig mean when he said that hardly anyone survived Francis's missions?" he asked cautiously.

Gilbert sighed. "No, he didn't mean- Look, I'm sure your brother will be fine, okay? The only ones that we need to worry about right now are you and Feliciano."

Matthew frowned. "What do you mean?"

Gilbert sighed and ran a hand through his white hair, his red eyes screwed shut in frustration.

"Francis gets people to do things by threatening the people they care about," he sighed. "How do you think he got your brother to agree to that damn mission? He did the same thing to me to get me join this fucking crew in the first place... And right about now he's probably doing the same thing to Lovino."

"He threatened people you cared about?" Matthew wondered, unable to hide his curiosity.

Gilbert chuckled humorlessly and nodded. "Yeah..."

Matthew waited for him to continue, not quite able to bring himself to ask who Francis had threatened. Gilbert sighed and absently patted the blonde on the top of the head, his scarlet eyes pained.

"Someday I'll see her again," the albino murmured. "And I'll get _mein bruder_ off of this hellhole so he can actually be with people like Feliciano... So we can both be happy."

"She?" Matthew prompted shyly, his cheeks reddening to a delicate pink.

"Oh, sorry, Birdie, did I crush your dreams of being with the awesome me?" Gilbert joked. A soft smile flickered across his face. "Oh man, if you could've seen her, Birdie... She's so tough, and half the time she acts like a guy but... She's beautiful." The albino glanced up at the blonde through strands of his pale hair, his red eyes hopeful. "Have you ever, I don't know, looked at someone and just thought... wow. And-and you just want to know what makes them happy so that you can see them smile... And you would do anything, anything in the world, so long as they are safe... Even if it kills you inside."

Matthew nodded, his violet eyes glowing with an understanding that shocked Gilbert. Out of the corner of his eye, the Canadian saw Feliciano watching them, his hazel eyes intent.

"Y-yes," Matthew murmured. "I know."

"Who?" Gilbert asked quietly.

Matthew shrugged, a small hint of pain flickering through his violet eyes.

"D-doesn't matter," he sighed. "He's not coming back."

"Ve~ Why not?" Feliciano broke in, his voice slightly hoarse.

Matthew offered the Italian a small, sad smile. "Because I let him go... So he could be where he wanted to be."

Feliciano frowned, his thin face turning unconsciously towards the door that Ludwig had disappeared through only minutes ago. Matthew sighed and ran a hand through his hair, his gaze meeting Gilbert's. The albino smiled quietly and patted the blonde on the head.

"It'll be alright," he murmured. "I'll protect you, Birdie."

"I'm more worried about Al," Matthew sighed. _Because he has no one to protect him..._

**Haha, yay! Another update! Ok, so I don't really know if I'll get the chance to get another update in before Christmas because I really need to focus on my presents for my friends. I will update Stolen Lullabies, but after that... I don't know. Just please be patient with me? If I have time, I'll try and get up a special present for all of my readers but... Again, please just stick with me!**

**Thank you to all of the people who have read/reviewed/favorited/alerted this story! You guys all rock! XD please keep it up! Review, please! Tell me how I'm doing.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"...nes... Jones... Jones!..._Alfred!_"

Alfred F. Jones yelped and fell off of his position on top of the railing, his back landing with a hard thump on the hard wooden floor of the deck. He winced and glanced up blearily at the pirate that was standing over him. Arthur glared back at him, his emerald eyes narrowed dangerously beneath his abnormally thick eyebrows.

"Have a nice nap?" Captain Kirkland growled.

"Uh... Yeah, until you woke me up?" Alfred grumbled. "Somethin' up, Iggy?"

"Yes, there certainly is- I'm sorry, what did you just call me, Jones?"

"Iggy!" Alfred replied brightly. "It's a nickname!"

Captain Kirkland stared at the younger man, clearly worried for his sanity. He shook his head and resumed glaring at the other blond.

"Would you care to explain why I had to walk up here to find you sleeping next to my wheel?" he asked coolly.

"Um... In my defense, I totally don't remember falling asleep."

"Of course you don't," Arthur chuckled. The pirate captain smirked and returned to his place at the wheel, not bothering to help Alfred up from his place on the deck.

Alfred huffed and scrambled to his feet, his usual smile falling easily into place.

"So... Did ya sleep well, Iggy?" he asked cheerfully.

Arthur frowned and shook his head, his emerald eyes never leaving the brightening horizon.

"Oh... uh, why not?" Alfred pressed, his smile slipping ever-so-slightly at the other man's silence.

Arthur merely shrugged, his lips quirking upwards into a small smirk.

"Perhaps I had too many things on my mind," he suggested calmly. "Like how to get rid of certain irritable gits who don't know when to shut up..."

"Aw, c'mon Iggy, Yong Soo's not that bad," Alfred quipped.

Arthur chuckled despite himself and shot the other blonde a half-hearted glare. "Is this your idea of a pleasant conversation, Jones?"

Alfred grinned and winked at the pirate, his smile widening when Arthur chuckled again.

_ This guy isn't that bad... he's just a big softy deep down_, the younger blond thought to himself. _I bet we could get along really well if we tried-_

_"You will enter Kirkland's crew and gain his trust so that you can kill him... I won't take kindly to failure, mon ami..."_ Alfred shivered as Francis's voice slithered through his brain like a snake, his blue eyes closing briefly behind the frames of his glasses. Dammit... There was no way he could do this...

There was no way that he could fail...

"Jones?"

Alfred shook himself at the sound of Arthur's voice and glanced up at the captain, his lips curving upwards into a smile when he saw the tiny hint of concern in the other man's green eyes. "Yeah, Iggy?"

Captain Kirkland shook his head in amusement and turned back to the sea, his lips quirking upwards once more. "And they say I'm a dreamer... Do you usually daydream while conversing with other people, Jones?"

"You know, you could just call me Alfred," the younger blond pointed out.

"I'd rather call you Jones."

"Why? Don't ya like my name?"

A faint tinge of red colored the pirate captain's cheeks and he shook his head, his emerald eyes hardening slightly. "Actually, I rather like your name... It reminds me of one of the rulers of my homeland."

Alfred raised his eyebrows and leaned forward, immediately interested. "Where was that?"

Arthur frowned and glared at the other blond. "That's hardly any of your business. I've never asked where you came from, Jones."

"Alfred," Alfred reminded him sweetly. "And I came from one of the colonies in the New World. My parents decided to settle there shortly after I was born so that they could make money in the sugar industry..." Alfred's expression darkened suddenly as he remembered the toll it had taken on his parents... the thick layers of sweat that coated their skins when they were taken ill from overworking themselves... the hollow, empty shells of their bodies when the illness finally took them away and left him and his brother to the mercy of a distant relative. "They died there," he continued quietly. "Some kind of tropical illness... Anyways, Matt and I got taken in by a family friend called Tony and he took care of us..." _At least, he did until the pirates-_ No, Alfred couldn't think of that now... He need to focus on the present, not wallow in the past.

Arthur was silent for a few moments after Alfred had finished speaking, his green eyes still focused resolutely on the sea in front of him.

"I didn't ask for you to share that information with me, Jo- Alfred," he said finally.

Alfred beamed at the captain's use of his first name, ignoring the slight thrill that went through his body at the sound. "You didn't have to, I guess. I have nothing to hide."

"Really?" Arthur asked casually, his emerald eyes sharp. "Then I suppose you wouldn't mind telling me how exactly you ended up here in the first place?"

Alfred stiffened and lowered his gaze to the salt-encrusted boards of the upper deck, his blue eyes flickering over the railing to search for some sort of distraction.

"...Don't know what you're talking about," he muttered.

Arthur snorted, his eyes narrowing in sudden suspicion. "Do you really believe any of us are dense enough to accept your story of the protective brother throwing you into the ocean? You were found miles from any port, Jones. I have yet to meet the man who can throw someone that far."

Alfred's face flushed, his hands clenching into fists as he realized his error. Dammit, he should have thought of a better back story...

"I- I don't want to talk about it," he muttered. There, that was mostly the truth...

Arthur frowned again, unconvinced. "Fine. But until you tell me the truth about your past, Jones, I won't be telling you any of mine. Understand?"

Alfred winced and nodded reluctantly, his lips turning down into a pout.

"And here I thought that we were getting somewhere..." he muttered.

"So did I..." Arthur sighed, causing the other blond to stare at him in surprise. The pirate captain ignored Alfred, his hands tightening around the smooth wood of the wheel.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Alfred sighed in defeat and began to head towards the main deck, his brow furrowed in frustration. Great, now how was he supposed to get close to Arthur-

Captain Kirkland let out a low hiss from behind Alfred, making the younger blond start and stare at him in surprise. The pirate captain ignored Alfred, his emerald eyes locked on a slowly growing spot on the horizon. After a few moments, Arthur swore and leaned over the railing, his tousled golden hair falling into his eyes beneath his bright red hat.

"Kate!" he yelled. "Kiku! Report to me, now!"

In a moment, the two crew members were at Arthur's side, their expressions alert.

"Arthur-dono?" Kiku murmured quietly, his brown eyes grave.

"A navy ship, coming up fast," Captain Kirkland growled, his gaze still locked on the dark shadow that had been cast against the cerulean blue sky. "Kiku, take the wheel until Li can be fetched. Kate, get Jack and prepare the crew for battle. I want all of our cannons loaded and ready by the time the enemy is within range."

Kate nodded and hurried back onto the main deck, while Kiku silently accepted the wheel from Arthur's steady hands. Arthur started to go after Kate, only to pause as he passed Alfred.

"Jones," he snapped. "I want you to go below decks and stay with Yao and Yong Soo until all of this is over. Do not come up, do not draw attention to yourself, and _do not disobey me_. I will not have anyone lose their lives because of your inexperience in battle."

Alfred bristled at the other man's words and opened his mouth to argue, only to reconsider when he saw the dangerous gleam in Arthur's emerald eyes.

"Yes... sir," he muttered reluctantly, earning himself a small smirk from the pirate.

"Get below, now," Captain Kirkland muttered, his scarlet coat flashing in the bright sun as he ran past Alfred towards the main deck, his hands already clasped around the sheathed sword and pistol at his belt.

Alfred watched the captain go, a faint blush warming his cheeks when he caught sight of the focused and confident expression in the pirate's eyes. Arthur looked good when he was angry... Wait, what-?

"Focus, dammit," Alfred muttered to himself, ignoring the questioning glance that Kiku was throwing his way.

Alfred sighed and hurried to follow Arthur's orders, his blue eyes narrowing in displeasure behind his glasses when the darkness of the ship's bowels consumed him. He jumped when someone clapped his shoulder from behind, his eyes widening in relief and surprise when he caught sight of an unusually-serious Jack standing at his side. Jack winked and smiled humorlessly at the younger man before pressing a pistol into Alfred's hands.

"Might come in handy, mate," the Australian murmured solemnly. "See ya when all of this is over."

Alfred nodded silently and ran to the kitchen, ignoring the urge to glance over his shoulder one last time. He needed to focus, he just needed to focus...

USUK*USUK*USUK

Li had already gone to join Kiku at the wheel by the time Alfred arrived in the kitchen. Yao and Yong Soo barely acknowledged the other man's presence as they positioned themselves on either side of the stove, their dark eyes trained on the door leading up to the main deck. Alfred hesitated for a moment before standing beside Yao, his muscles tensing when the Chinese man shot him a suspicious glare.

"What's your problem, dude?" Alfred hissed nervously, his fingers drumming restlessly against the rusted metal of his pistol.

Yao frowned and refocused his attention on the door, his slim hands clenched around the handles of a wok. "I don't trust you, aru."

"Yeah? Join the club, buddy," Alfred grumbled. "No one else trusts me."

"With good reason, I suppose," Yao guessed tightly.

Alfred sighed and ran a hand through his hair in frustration, taking care to avoid his cowlick. "Yeah... They all have good reasons. I don't blame them."

The two Asians shot Alfred a surprised look, only to have their attention diverted by a sudden explosion from above, followed quickly by the sweet stench of burning wood and the screams of wounded men. Alfred felt the blood drain from his cheeks and clutched at the counter behind his back, struggling to fight against the fear that threatened to overwhelm him at the sounds of battle. He couldn't give in to fear again... Heroes didn't do that. They stayed strong! They stayed brave!

There was another explosion and a low rumble as the ship shuddered, nearly sending Alfred to the floor. Yao hastily steadied the blond and rolled his eyes at the younger man's inexperience, his dark eyes flickering nervously towards Yong Soo as the sounds of battle began to get closer.

"Have they boarded us already, aru?" the Chinese man murmured. "It is unlike Arthur to allow that to happen so soon..."

Yong Soo shrugged and inched closer to Yao, a frying pan clutched awkwardly in his hands.

"I'm sure he has a plan, daze," the Korean muttered. "Even though plans were invented in Kore-"

The door to the kitchen shattered as a volley of explosions shook Captain Kirkland's ship. Alfred yelled and tackled Yao to the ground as shard of splintered wood flew into the cramped room, his jaw clenching when he heard Yong Soo cry out in pain.

"Yong Soo!" Yao cried, his voice slightly muffled by Alfred's arms. The Chinese man struggled to free himself from Alfred's grip, his brown eyes widening in alarm when he saw the Korean leaning heavily against the stove, his hands fluttering over a small red rosette forming below his chest.

"Y-yao..." Yong Soo moaned, his dark eyes wide with panic beneath his short dark-brown hair.

Alfred hastily removed his grip from Yao as the Chinese man launched himself to Yong Soo's side. The blond watched in silent fear as Yao tore away thin strips of Yong Soo's blue and white robes, his dark eyes locked on the growing stain of the Korean's blood.

"W-what can I do?" Alfred croaked, his lips tightening as Yong Soo moaned again.

Yao shot Alfred a confused look and shook his head, his eyes flickering back to the Korean's pale features.

"I- Help me stop the bleeding, aru," Yao murmured. "It's the only way he'll have a chance."

Alfred nodded stiffly and knelt at the wounded Korean's side, his hands pressing against the wad of bloodied cloth on Yong Soo's wound. Yong Soo whimpered and glared blearily up at Alfred, his strange hair curl drooping in exhaustion and pain.

"T-that hurt, daze," the Korean muttered.

"Sorry," Alfred grunted, his blue eyes flickering unwillingly towards the blood that was quickly staining his fingertips. "Why won't it stop bleeding?"

Yao glared at the blond and knelt beside him, a small satchel clutched in his delicate hands.

"Move the bandages, aru," he growled. "I need to spread an herbal paste over the wound."

Alfred nodded and removed his tainted hands. He looked away as Yao bent over Yong Soo, his gaze focusing on the shattered remains of the kitchen doorway. His eyes tightened as the clash of steel against steel echoed down towards them, the dull booming of cannons providing a grisly background to the screams and shouts of battle.

"Do you... do you think anyone else is hurt?" he asked, his voice unusually quiet.

Yao's jaw clenched and he shrugged. "That's none of our concern right now, aru."

"Yeah, but-" Alfred felt his voice die in his throat as another yell came from above, his eyes widening in startled recognition. "That was Jack."

Yao's muscles tensed but he remained silent, his head still bent over his wounded companion. Alfred frowned and slowly pulled himself to his feet, his eyes locked on the short flight of roughly hewed steps that lead up to the main deck. He flinched as another yell and a crash rang through the small kitchen from above, his shaking hands reaching down to clasp the pistol at his belt.

"What are you doing?" Yao demanded sharply, his brown eyes narrowing as the blond began to make his way towards the chaos of the main deck.

"I need to see if anyone else is hurt," Alfred muttered. "I can bring them down here-"

"You will get yourself killed, aru," Yao snapped. "Arthur told you to stay down here where it is safe."

"I can't just let people _die_, dammit!" Alfred hissed. "That's not what heroes do."

"Don't be a fool, Alfred," Yao yelled.

Alfred chuckled humorlessly and hurried up to the main deck, ignoring Yao's furious yells.

"Too late..." he muttered under his breath.

The blond paused before setting foot onto the deck, his eyes sweeping across the bloodied boards of the ship. He stifled a gasp when he saw bodies strewn carelessly across the filthy wood of the ship, his gaze drifting away from the frozen faces of the dead before he could recognize any of them. Alfred breathed a small sigh of relief when he saw Jack and Kate fighting back-to-back at the other end of the ship, their faces shining with sweat and dried blood. Kiku ran past the siblings in Alfred's, a slim blade clutched in both of his hands as he darted in between men clad in uniform shades of royal blue- the color of the British navy.

Alfred stiffened suddenly, his breath escaping from his clenched lips in a low hiss as one of the naval-men slipped past Kiku's defenses and slashed at the Asian man's arm with a well-polished rapier. Kiku flinched, his guard dropping for a small second as another navy sailor came upon him, his pistol aimed at the injured man's exposed chest...

A furious yell broke through Alfred's lips and he lunged forward, his feet carrying him across the deck towards the fallen member of Arthur's crew. Alfred's lips curved up into a feral grin as his raised fists connected with the naval-man's soft flesh, his knuckles slamming against the sailor's lower jaw with enough force to send the man spiraling into unconsciousness. Another sailor gave a shout of alarm and moved to attack Alfred, only to fall as one of Jack's bullets ripped through his chest.

"What the hell are ya doin' here, mate?" Jack shouted furiously from across the deck, his sandy-brown hair sticking limply to his sweaty skin.

"Helping," Alfred snapped back, his fists slamming into another sailor that had gotten too close. Alfred bent and flung Kiku gently over his shoulder before another naval-man could attack, conveniently ignoring the Asian man's objections. "I'm taking Kiku below before anyone else can attack him."

"Fine," Kate snapped, her brown eyes gleaming with adrenaline. "Make sure you stay down there with him, Jones."

Alfred nodded reluctantly and ran back towards the shattered portal leading into the kitchen, his muscles tensing when he saw a slim figure dressed in royal blue crouching by the opening.

"Oh no, you don't," he growled, his free hand reaching for the unused pistol still sheathed at his belt. "Get away from there, or I'll shoot," he yelled in a louder voice.

The sailor stiffened and glanced at Alfred over his shoulder, his long, light-brown hair escaping from beneath his cap to settle across his shoulders in tangled waves. The sailor's light-green eyes narrowed as he lifted his own pistol, his feet planted firmly on the wood in front of the entrance to the kitchen.

"What happens if I shoot you first, bastard?" the sailor yelled, his high- almost girlish- voice carrying easily across the sounds of battle.

Alfred snarled and carefully lowered Kiku to the ground behind him, his eyes never leaving the sailor's grim features.

"Look," he said slowly, struggling to contain his fear and irritation. "I don't want to kill you, I just want to get my friend here away from the fighting. So, just move a few feet to the right, okay? No one has to get hurt here."

"Yeah? Your other pirate buddies weren't so courteous when they took my friend away," the sailor snarled.

"Well, I'm not them," Alfred shot back. "And I'm not a damn pirate. I didn't choose to come here, got it?"

"Then why the hell _are_ you here?" the sailor challenged, his bright green eyes softening warily.

Alfred hesitated, all-too- aware of Kiku's curious gaze burning into his back.

"...Because I'm trying to protect someone I care about," he muttered.

The sailor slowly lowered his pistol, his mouth trembling slightly as he took a few hesitant steps towards Alfred.

"Then maybe you can help me," he whispered, his abnormally-high voice going higher with suppressed emotion. Alfred started, noticing for the first time the odd curves of the man's waist. This sailor... was a girl? "Please, do you know what happened to Gilbert Beilschmidt?"

"Gil- the albino?" Alfred muttered before he could stop himself, his jaw clenching when the girl brightened noticeably.

"You have seen him," she sighed, her eyes misting over with unshed tears. "Please, you must tell me if he is alive... Where did you see him? Is he here, is he on this ship?"

Alfred slowly shook his head, his gaze flickering back to where Kiku was crouched behind him, the Asian's dark eyes locking alertly onto Alfred's own.

"Please... just let me pass," Alfred murmured, unwilling to say more.

The girl frowned and opened her mouth to argue, only to freeze as her gaze locked on something behind the blond.

"Roderich..." she whispered. "No-"

Alfred whirled around in time to catch sight of a brown-haired naval-man with violet eyes standing against the railings of the ship, his gaze locking on the man's pistol just as the sailor aimed at Kiku. Alfred gasped and dove for the brown-haired man, his feet skidding to a halt against the rough wooden boards when the sailor turned his weapon on Alfred.

The sailor- Roderich- smiled humorlessly at the blond, his violet eyes cold beneath the thin frames of his glasses.

"Stay where you are, pirate," the man spat. "And I may let you live to see a fair trial."

"Lower your weapon, sailor," another voice interrupted coolly. "And I may reconsider killing you right now."

Alfred flinched and glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the new voice, his lips quirking upwards into a reluctant smile when he saw Arthur standing behind him. Captain Kirkland ignored Alfred, his green eyes glaring calmly into Roderich's beneath his large eyebrows. Alfred noted dimly that the captain had lost his ornate hat at some point in the battle, and that the pirate's pristine scarlet coat was now stained by darker streaks of dried blood and smeared gunpowder.

Roderich noticeably stiffened at the sight of the captain, although his pistol failed to lower from its new target.

"Your threats have no affect on me, _Captain_," the sailor spat.

"They were not threats, boy," Arthur retorted coldly. "Only promises. Now lower your weapon."

Roderich shook his head, his hand tilting to the side until the barrel of his gun was aimed squarely at Alfred's unprotected chest.

"I will show no mercy," Roderich whispered hoarsely. "Not to those who showed none..."

Then he fired.

**Hey guys! So... hehe, yeah, I know this update was kind of late... Sorry about that... But, to make it up to you, here's an extra long chapter! Please forgive me for the delay! Christmas break is a lot busier than I thought it would be... Anyways, I'll try and get back on schedule now, okay?**

**Thanks again to everyone who read/reviewed this story! Please don't hesitate to tell me what you think! Review! :-)**

**Oh, and Merry Christmas (er... yeah it's a little late..) and Happy New Year! (yeah... this is a little early... eh, I don't really care.)**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Pain... Dammit, the pain...

"...Hurts..."

Yeah, that's right. It hurt... Wait, was someone else in pain, too? Alfred struggled to lift his head- when had it ended up on the ground?- and look for the person whose moans were echoing in his ears, keeping perfect time with the throbbing pain that rippled through his nerves.

"..._Hurts_, dammit..." There was that moan again.

"I know, Alfred. Please, try and stay quiet."

Alfred? Wait, why were they talking to him- Oh. He was the one moaning. Then who was-?

"I-Iggy?" Alfred croaked, trying to see through the veil of darkness that seemed to have covered his eyes. He blinked once, twice, three times, watching as Arthur's pale face swam into view in front of him.

Captain Kirkland gave an audible sigh of relief at the sight of Alfred's pain-filled blue eyes, his emerald eyes still tight with concern.

"You bloody git," the pirate growled quietly. "I thought I told you to stay out of harm's way."

"S-sorry, dude," Alfred whispered. "W-what happened?"

"You were shot, aru," Yao called flatly.

Alfred blinked and lifted his head slightly, his eyes widening in surprise when he saw the Chinese man standing in the far corner of the room, his slim hands coated with dried blood. Alfred paled at the sight of the blood and forced a weak laugh out of his lips.

"Haha, hey, what's with all of the blood, Yao?" he asked warily. "Did you get hurt or something?"

"What part of 'you were shot' don't you get, aru?" Yao snapped irritably. "I had to get the bullet out before we could stitch the wound closed."

"O-oh." Alfred glanced down at his bare chest, surprised to see a warm blanket covering his bandaged torso. And... Where exactly had this bed come from? Since when had there been a _bed_ on this ship? "Where was I hit?"

Yao shrugged and looked at Arthur, who seemed to have trouble keeping his eyes on Alfred for an extended period of time. Arthur sighed and ran a hand through his tangled golden hair, his emerald eyes flickering back to Alfred.

"That sailor would have hit you in the chest," he explained quietly. "He was close enough that the shot would have killed you... Luckily, his female companion ran into him and threw off his aim. His bullet went wide and hit you in the shoulder. Fortunately, there wasn't any permanent damage..."

Alfred blinked in surprise, images of the violet-eyed sailor flashing through his mind. "W-what happened to him?"

Arthur's emerald eyes flashed dangerously, his lips tightening into a hard line. "I shot him and threw him over the side of the ship."

Alfred flinched and stared at the pirate, surprised by way his chest tightened at Captain Kirkland's words. How strange... Hadn't he known that this was the way that Arthur really was? He was a pirate, after all, they killed people.

_So why am I so upset that _Arthur_ killed someone?_ Alfred wondered.

_Maybe... It's because I was hoping that he was different... When he kills people like that... He's no different from Francis._

"S-so he's dead?" Alfred clarified quietly.

Arthur shrugged and looked away again. "I don't know. And frankly, I do not care. The bastard was warned, and he ignored me."

"What about... the girl?" Alfred asked, not sure if he wanted to know the answer or not.

Arthur's brow furrowed for a moment before he chuckled, his emerald eyes brightening for the briefest moment in amusement. "Ah yes, Elizaveta. She was determined not to leave the ship and insisted we allow her to join the crew. Stubborn child... Kiku convinced me to give her a chance, however. They seem to get along quite well, for some odd reason..."

Alfred breathed a small sigh of relief, his brow furrowing at the mention of Kiku. What did he think of Alfred now, after what he had heard from Elizaveta? More importantly, had he told Arthur?

"Alfred," Arthur muttered, immediately grabbing the other blond's attention. "What the bloody hell were you thinking back there?"

Alfred frowned in confusion and cocked his head to the side. "What are you talking about, Iggy?"

Arthur's eye twitched at the nickname but he pressed on. "You could have gotten yourself killed, you damn wanker. More importantly, you could have gotten others killed or gotten us captured by the navy. Or do you actually _want_ to be hung from the gallows? I never took you for suicidal, Alfred."

Alfred flushed and glanced down at his bandaged skin, his fingers playing idly with the frayed edges of the gauze.

"I... I just wanted to keep other people from getting hurt," he muttered. "You know... Cause I'm a hero and stuff..."

Arthur snarled and slammed his fist into the wall above Alfred's head, his brilliant green eyes boring into Alfred's with a frightening intensity.

"When are you going to realize that the only person who needs 'saving' is yourself?" he snarled. "Get it through your thick head, Jones. The more you try and help others, the more you end up getting yourself and those you love hurt."

"Are you speaking from experience or because you've never actually tried to help people, Arthur?" Alfred snapped before he could stop himself. He froze the moment the words left his lips, his eyes widening as fury rose in Arthur's eyes. Shit, he had really done it now...

Arthur turned away, his shoulders trembling with the effort of controlling his emotions. At the other side of the room, Yao watched the exchange, his eyebrows raised disinterestedly. Several moments passed before Alfred forced himself to speak again.

"I... Captain, I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"Be quiet, Jones," Arthur interrupted curtly. The pirate took a deep, steadying breath and pushed himself away from Alfred's side, his head bowed as he exited the room. "Yao, see to it that Jones is taken care of before you return to your other patients. Make sure Jones doesn't leave until he has fully recovered. We will be docking at Port Aegea in a week to restock. Make sure that Al- Jones is well enough to be put ashore by the time we get there."

Yao nodded slowly at waited until the Captain had exited the room before he looked at Alfred, his lips quirking into a smirk.

"You really are an idiot, aru," he said flatly.

"W-what do you mean?" Alfred demanded, his cheeks reddening.

"That probably wasn't the best way to respond to Arthur expressing his concern for you," Yao pointed out. "Besides, you obviously brought up a subject that is sensitive to him, aru. Not really a good plan to get him to like you."

"I- Wait, who said that I wanted him to _like_ me?" Alfred spluttered. "A-and I just recovered from getting s-shot, so, I mean, it's not like I'm thinking straight or anything..."

"I might actually buy that if I thought that you were any better when you _were_ thinking straight, aru," Yao shot back with a chuckle. "And in answer to your question, aru, one can't be related to Kiku without knowing the signs of a potential relationship."

Alfred raised his eyebrows and caught himself wondering what being related to Kiku had to do with spotting relationships... Then he realized that he _really_ didn't want to know.

"Okay... So, say that you were... sort of right. What exactly do you propose I do, oh wise medicine man?" he asked sarcastically.

Yao rolled his eyes and smiled. "Oh, I don't think that you have to do anything, aru. Except perhaps gag yourself before you say anything else stupid... Now hold still, aru. I need to change your bandages."

Alfred groaned and reclined against the bed, his brow furrowing when he realized that he still didn't know where the bed had come from.

"So... where exactly am I?" he asked casually as the Chinese man started to remove his bandages.

Yao glanced at him, reminding the blond that he wasn't supposed to move. "You're in the Captain's quarters, aru. It was the nearest available bed, and he thought that you would be more... comfortable on an actual bed."

Alfred blinked in shock and glanced down at the covers again. This... was Arthur's bed? Like... where he _slept_?

_Wait, what the hell? Why... why does it matter? So what if I'm lying where Arth- the Captain sleeps every night? It- it doesn't matter, r-right?_

God, he was even bad at lying to himself...

"There." Yao straightened up and smirked down at Alfred, his dark eyes glittering with amusement once again. "Now try to actually stay in one place, aru. I don't want to have to stitch you up again, it was bad enough when you were unconscious."

Alfred nodded slowly then paused as another thought occurred to him. "Hey... is Yong Soo okay? Did you... You managed to fix him up too, right?"

Yao blinked in surprise and stared down at the extra bandages in his hands, his eyes tightening.

"Yes... He is doing fine," he admitted quietly. "Li and Kiku are watching him for me right now." After a moment, he added "I owe you an apology, aru."

"You- wait, why?"

Yao shrugged, his thin cheeks tainted with the faintest tinge of red. "I insulted you, aru, by doubting your trust. I was wrong to doubt you. We all were."

"Uh.. thanks," Alfred mumbled, trying to ignore the guilt that built up inside of him at the other man's words. Dammit, he didn't deserve this... "What made you change your mind?"

"You saved me," Yao explained. "And you saved Kiku. You tried to save Yong Soo. You wouldn't do that if you wanted to betray us, aru."

_I don't want to... Doesn't mean that I won't in the end_.

**Hey! I'm back! Hehe, really sorry for the long delay here... and for leaving you with that awful cliffy... I swear, I have a good excuse though! Maybe...? See, I had midterms all last week so there was no time to write an update since I had to study for seven exams, and the school play is reaching its high point, so... Um, yeah, sorry again for the delay. I swear I'll get back on schedule now! :) Anyways, thanks for having patience with me, and please tell me what you thought, mkay?**

**Oh, also, I have a small favor to ask from my readers, if you guys don't mind... See, my speech coach's wife has recently been diagnosed with cancer, and there are some doubts that she'll recover. She means everything to my coach, and... if some of you guys could keep her in your thoughts or prayers, that would mean a lot. So.. yeah, if you don't mind... please keep her in your thoughts or prayers. I don't care what kind of prayers or thoughts... Just as long as you think/pray them. Thanks.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"God, I am so _bored_!"

Alfred groaned loudly and attempted to pull himself out of bed for the hundredth time that day, only to fall back onto it with a moan when a flash of pain shot through the wound in his shoulder.

"I told you not to move, aru," Yao called flatly as he walked in the door, an expressionless Kiku close behind him.

"But I'm so boredd!" Alfred whined, his eyes narrowing slightly when he caught sight of Kiku. Shit...

"Please be quiet, aru," Yao muttered. The Chinese man carefully lifted the covers to check the bandages around Alfred's chest, a low noise of approval breaking through his pursed lips when he didn't see any blood. "Despite your best efforts, you seem to be healing quickly, aru."

Alfred grinned nervously, his eyes still flickering back to the silent Kiku. "Haha, guess I'm just that awesome."

Yao rolled his eyes and turned to leave the room. "Kiku wants to keep you company for now, aru. Stop moving around so much."

"Yeah yeah, thanks doc," Alfred laughed, his smile widening when Yao shot him a half-hearted glare.

The smile quickly faded when the door was closed, leaving him alone with Kiku.

"Alfred-san," Kiku greeted quietly.

"H-hey, Kiku..."

"You seem nervous," Kiku noted quietly.

Alfred shrugged and glanced down at the bed, his fingers playing restlessly with the frayed edges of his blanket. "Oh?"

"Hai." The Japanese man paused for a long moment, his brown eyes studying Alfred carefully before he spoke again. "Alfred-san, I would like to ask you how you came to this ship."

"I already told you..."

"Apparently you didn't tell the truth," Kiku murmured. "I like you, Alfred-san, but you are not my family. I must put their safety and happiness before any concern for you. Do you understand?"

"Perfectly," Alfred sighed. He would have done the same for Matthew after all... "Did you tell Arth- the Captain?"

"At the moment, there is nothing to tell," Kiku replied carefully. "Would you like to change that?"

Alfred met Kiku's intense gaze, his blue eyes hard as ice. "I can't. Believe me, I wish I could."

"Why is that?" Kiku pressed, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

Alfred sighed and leaned back against the wall behind the bed, his eyelids fluttering shut beneath his glasses. "Remember what you said about your family? I've got to do the same for mine. No matter what it takes."

"How do you know this Gilbert Beilschmidt that Elizaveta-san talks about?" Kiku asked.

Alfred raised his eyebrows at the stoic Asian. "We changing the subject?"

Kiku merely waited.

Alfred sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I met him..."

"How? She said that he was taken by pirates? Unless you haven't seen him recently."

Alfred paused and closed his eyes, his shoulders shaking. Dammit... Kiku had given him such a good escape just now... It would be so easy to just lie again, to keep up this facade, wouldn't it?

"I met him... on a pirate ship. A few weeks ago."

Kiku frowned and leaned forward, his lips turning downward. "You were on another ship before you came to ours?"

Alfred nodded slowly, relief warring with fear and guilt in his gut.

"Whose ship?"

Shit... "I can't tell you."

"It seems like there are a lot of things that you can't tell us, Alfred-san."

"Kiku-"

"The more I listen to your excuses, the more I believe that I should inform Arthur-dono about this situation," the Japanese man continued, his dark eyes narrowing dangerously.

"N-no!" Alfred yelped, his eyes widening in fear. "Please, Kiku."

"I need to watch out for my family, Alfred-san."

"Yeah, well, if you don't leave this alone I won't be able to watch out for mine," Alfred hissed furiously. "My brother will _die_ if I don't do what that bastard wants."

Kiku frowned and leaned forward, his jaw set with determination. "Who? Who are you so afraid of, Alfred-san?"

"I've already told you, I can't tell you!"

"We can help you-"

"How?" Alfred interrupted furiously. "Mattie would be dead the second that French bastard realized that I betrayed him. You wouldn't be able to get to him in time."

Alfred froze suddenly, his eye widening in horror as he realized what he had just done. Kiku rocked back onto his heels, his expression an odd mixture of satisfaction and pity.

"You and your brother were captured by Captain Bonnefoy," he murmured. "May I assume that this Gilbert Beilschmidt is there as well?"

Alfred groaned and pressed his hands to his eyes, his shoulders shaking. "S-shit... Dammit! F-Francis will know... M-Mattie... Oh my God, what the hell have I done?"

"Alfred-san, we can rescue your brother-"

"What if you can't?" Alfred snapped. "What if you get there a little too late, or Francis moves a little too quickly? How the hell would I be able to deal with that, huh?"

"And what happens if Captain Bonnefoy tricked you?" Kiku pointed out calmly. "What if he killed your brother anyways, when you had already ensured our own destruction?"

Alfred shuddered and pulled his knees up against his chest in a loose fetal position, his head resting wearily against his crossed arms.

"Matt's all I've got, Kiku," he whispered hoarsely. "I c-can't loose him."

The Asian shifted uncomfortably and glanced at the closed door, his brow furrowed thoughtfully.

"I shall leave you alone, then," he said finally.

Alfred glanced up at him sharply, his eyes narrowed. "You're going to tell Arthur."

Kiku raised his eyebrows at Alfred's use of the Captain's first name but nodded. "I have to."

The blonde sighed and leaned his head back against the wall behind the bed. "Guess I'm as good as dead, then. Do ya think he'll give me a last request?"

Kiku shrugged, his brown eyes wary. "That depends on what it is..."

Alfred sighed and glanced up at the Japanese man pleadingly. "Whatever happens to me, promise you'll find a way to rescue my brother."

"Alfred-san, I'm sure that everything-"

"Promise me, Kiku."

"... Hai. I promise."

USUK*USUK*USUK

"_Bonjour_, _mon ami_. It is so good of you to come on such short notice~."

Matthew stiffened as the sound of Francis's voice echoed towards him outside of the door to the brig, his muscles clenching as the Frenchman drew closer with whoever he was talking to. In another corner of the cell, Feliciano whimpered and crawled hurriedly to Matthew's side, his hazel eyes wide with a sudden panic.

"V-ve, w-what's happening?" the Italian whispered nervously. "W-where are Luddy and Gilbert?"

Matthew shrugged, deciding not to mention the fact that Feliciano had told Ludwig to leave him alone less than twenty-four hours ago. He sucked in a sharp breath as the door to the prison was thrown open, his muscles relaxing infinitesimally when the German brothers walked stiffly into the room.

His relief quickly disappeared when Francis waltzed into the room, with Sadik by his side. Two others walked in behind the Frenchman, their faces hidden by the shadows of the room. Matthew bit back a whimper when he saw that one of the strangers wore a long scarf wrapped around their neck, his mind flashing back to a less-painful time when his heart was still mostly intact.

The second stranger- a woman judging from the platinum-blonde hair that hung below her shoulders in a silky wave- sniffed in disgust when she caught sight of the cell that Matthew and Feliciano were occupying.

"What is this that you have dragged my brother here for?" she demanded in a thick accent. "I warn you, if his time has been wasted-"

The stranger with the scarf held out a hand to silence his sister, his face still hidden by the dim light of the room. Matthew caught himself wishing that he could see the man's features, his heart pounding frantically against his chest. Gilbert caught his eye and lifted his lips in a halfhearted smile, his scarlet eyes bright with fury and... fear?

Francis chuckled at the antics of the two strangers, although Matthew noted that even he seemed a little nervous around the taller man.

"There is no need for threats," he assured the girl. "I merely wanted to show you my two treasures so that you would better understand my position in these matters."

"You said that you keep them here to force your spies into cooperation," the scarf-clad stranger murmured, his familiar voice sending shivers of pain and longing through Matthew's chest.

Matthew gasped and slowly made his way forward, ignoring Feliciano's frightened whispers for him to come back. His violet eyes were locked on the man that remained half-hidden in the shadows, his breath coming in shallow gasps through his parted lips.

_No... It couldn't be... Fate wouldn't be so cruel..._

"_Oui_," Francis was replying, clearly pleased with himself. "Surely you of all people understand the devotion and loyalty of siblings, _Monsieur_? So long as I have these two with me, their brothers will do whatever I ask."

"And you think that this will get you what you desire?" the blonde girl snapped impatiently. "How?"

"So simple, _mon cheri_. Kirkland and Carriedo are the most well-respected and feared pirates on the seas. Their deaths will give me the opening that I need to take Princess Lili's riches. With her own navies and the navies of her brother occupied by the backlash caused by the murders, my fleet will easily overcome whatever defenses are left behind."

"And where do we fit in to this plan of yours?" the girl growled.

Matthew frowned and continued to inch forward, wishing that the other stranger would speak again. He needed to be sure...

"You bear a grudge against the Princess's brother, _oui_? Lead the charge against his sister, and I guarantee you will find your opportunity to kill him."

The stranger with the scarf hummed thoughtfully just as Matthew paused mere inches from the bars of the cell, his breath catching in his throat as the man turned towards him. Violet eyes passed over Matthew as if they couldn't see him, their expression far away.

"What makes you think that any of the pirates would listen to me?" the man asked softly. "Not many of them like me, da? I did not even think that you appreciated my company, Francis."

The Frenchman smiled thinly and casually draped an arm around the stranger's shoulder, only to hastily back away when a forbidding purple aura rose around the other man.

"Even the most hated enemy becomes a beloved friend when he is needed," Francis purred. "Trust me, Ivan. They will follow you."

Matthew gasped, immediately drawing the attention of the small group. He scrambled away from the bars of the cell, his wide lilac eyes locked on the stranger as the man sucked in a sharp breath and bent down to get a better look.

"Matvey?" he whispered dazedly, his purple eyes shocked beneath his silver-white hair.

Matthew shook his head and slid limply to the ground as surprise and pain overwhelmed him, his trembling lips managing to form one last word before he slipped into unconsciousness.

"I-Ivan..."

**Hahaha! I finally got this up! You have no idea how hard this was to write, hehe. Darn writer's block... Anyways, I kinda don't feel like ranting on this one, although I guess I should clear a few things up, eh?**

**First off, Princess Lili = Liechtenstein. For the moment, we're just going to pretend that it's possible for her to be a princess of England since that's the navy that went after Arthur. Obviously, her brother is Vash/Switzerland, and I have no idea what he did to piss off Ivan/Russia. Or maybe I do and I just don't reel like telling you~ kolkolkol...**

**So... yeah! Sorry once again for the awfully long wait, and please tell me what you think, okay? And once again, please keep praying/thinking for my speech coach's wife. Thank you!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Alfred looked up when the door opened, his heart sinking when he met Arthur's bright green eyes.

The pirate captain shifted uncomfortably under Alfred's intense gaze and glanced down at his feet, his pale cheeks flushing a bright red that Alfred somehow found endearing.

"Good evening, Jones," Arthur said quietly. "How are you feeling?"

_Depends... Are you here to kill me?_ "Fine...?"

"Good, good..." Arthur paused and drew in a deep breath, his blush deepening. "I... There's something that I need to discuss with you, Jones."

Alfred's breath hitched and he pushed himself into a sitting position, ignoring the pain that rippled through his wound at the movement. "Shit, I- Iggy... Uh, I mean, Captain, I'm so sorry! I didn't- I don't want to hurt you, but I was scared and I'm so sor-"

"Alfred." Arthur waited until the younger blonde had stopped speaking, an amused half-smile gracing his thin lips. "It's alright. I understand."

"Y-you do?"

"Yes... quite well, actually." Captain Kirkland took a deep breath and settled down on the edge of the bed beside Alfred, his large eyebrows furrowing. "There's something that I want to tell you, Alfred. Something... very important to me. I trust that you will not let it leave this room."

Alfred nodded quickly, his blue eyes wide with curiosity and relief behind his glasses. If it meant that he could live to see tomorrow, he'd do anything Arthur asked him.

Arthur smiled slightly at the other man's enthusiasm, his hand reaching out to absently pat the blond on the top of his head.

"You are rather like a puppy, you know that, Jones?" he chuckled. Then, without waiting for an answer, he continued. "I never dreamed that I would be a pirate, you know. My mum probably would have murdered me if I ever entertained such a notion when I was younger. I wanted to be a teacher, actually... Or a gentleman... Although both were rather unlikely outcomes considering who I was."

The pirate paused again and glanced up at Alfred, another smile flickering across his lips when he saw that the other man was hanging onto his every word.

"Something that you should know about my family, Jones," Arthur whispered, his emerald eyes far away. "We were quite poor. My mother had been born in England to a merchant family, but she went to Ireland to be with my father after meeting him at the docks. He was poor, he was Catholic, and he was determined to stop the oppression that England had placed upon his homeland. Any one of those qualities would have been awful, but having all three... My father was doomed.

"He managed to control himself until my three older brothers had been born and grown. They were all... troublemakers, like my father. My mother was quite relieved when she had me, as my personality was closer to hers than it was to her husband. She tried to hard to keep us all out of trouble, even while both she and my father worked over twelve hours a day in the factories trying to put food on the table. It wasn't enough, though... Eventually, my father had to snap.

"He joined the resistance movement with my eldest brother, James. Before the year was out, my other brothers, Cian and William, had joined as well. They kept this a secret from my mother and I, but they couldn't keep it from my fairies. When the fairies found out, they told me what was happening, what my family was going to do...

"I didn't want to worry my mother. She already had enough on her plate, and had recently fallen sick from her work. I decided that I had to stop my brothers on my own, that I could single-handedly show them and my father that they were wrong."

The captain stopped again, his breath hitching slightly. He glanced up in surprise when he felt Alfred's fingers curl around his in a comforting grip. Arthur smiled shakily and closed his eyes before speaking again.

"They weren't thrilled when they realized that I had followed them. There was a raid planned that night, on the estate of the royal governor of Ireland. Our father had already gone ahead with the first wave, and James would be heading out shortly with Cian and William. I begged them not to go, told them that they would only be getting themselves killed."  
>Another pause. Then:<p>

"William tried to take me away, but I wouldn't listen. I begged and screamed and argued until I was blue in the face. And- and that delayed them. They didn't go with the second wave, they left my father alone at the estate. ….My father died that night."

Alfred breathed in a sharp breath. "Arthur-"

Kirkland glared at him to be quiet before continuing. "Brothers blamed me, of course. They stopped talking to me, barely acknowledged my existence. When my mother died a few days later, no one comforted me while I cried. They stood on the other side of the bed, holding each other and drying their tears. Mine... were left to run unchecked.

"James started to turn to the drink. He and Cian were dragged deeper into the resistance movement and were barely home. William took over my mother's shift and was barely home. I tried to get a job as well, but I could never hold one for long. I was always distracted, always sleep-deprived. I hated going home at night. Sometimes, I would run away to the docks and sleep there with only the fairies for company. That was where Francis found me, I suppose."

Alfred stiffened at the mention of the Frenchman, but Arthur seemed not to notice.

"You haven't heard of him, I know," Arthur was saying calmly. "And I hope for your sake that you never meet him. He's a treacherous snake, used to taking the wishes of others and twisting them until they fit his own. He told me that I could be accepted by my family again, that I could lift them out of poverty and save them from what happened to our parents. He offered me a place on his ship as a navigator. I accepted.

"Within a month, I had risen to the position of first mate... and occupied a place in the captain's bed. Francis... he was always spewing rubbish about love and loyalty and protection. I suppose it got to me after a while. I believed that we were in love..."

Arthur snorted bitterly, his expression pained. Alfred felt a tinge of surprise when he realized that his free hand was clenched tightly into a fist, that his cheeks were flushing a bright red with... anger? Why? Why was he so angry?

"My infatuation lasted until I found the frog with another crew mate... a _woman_, actually, by the name of Belle. Needless to say, I was... upset. That night, I stole half of Francis's treasure one of the lifeboats and fled to the nearest port. When I had docked, I used my new-found riches to get my own ships. I met Kiku and his family and convinced them to join my crew. Jack and Kate joined several days later, along with one or two additional members. And... Here we are." The pirate captain chuckled humorlessly, his eyes tightening when Alfred failed to join in.

"What... What happened to your family?" Alfred asked quietly, ignoring the small knot that had formed within his gut throughout the course of Arthur's tale. Had Kiku not told him yet?

Arthur shrugged, his expression twisting. "I continue to send them money anonymously after every raid that my ship makes. A year ago, I started to pay a young boy by the name of Peter to spy on them for me. He has informed me that the money has been put to good use, that my brothers are no longer living in poverty, and that James has continued to drink, although he is not quite up to the level of an alcoholic."

"...Do they miss you?"

"I haven't asked."

After a long moment of silence, Alfred spoke again. "Why did you tell me this?"

Arthur shrugged uncomfortably, his brow furrowed into a small frown. "What happened with my family has made me scorn the impulse to help others no matter the danger. I allowed that impulse to rule me in your situation, and I... feared that doing so would cost me your friendship unless I took action to reverse the situation."

"You told me a few days ago that you wouldn't tell me anything about your life unless I told you about mine first," Alfred reminded him quietly.

Arthur shrugged ruefully, his cheeks now flushed a bright red. "Yes, well, I suppose I'll just have to take a chance and trust that you won't betray me."

Alfred swallowed hard and nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Arthur shifted before reaching out to touch Alfred's chin, his fingers pressing lightly against the younger man's skin to lift his face to meet his own.

"You should know that I don't trust many people," the pirate whispered, his voice hoarse. "I don't want to get hurt, Jo- Alfred."

"I don't want to hurt you, Iggy," Alfred murmured in return, his voice choked. _Dammit, I can't do this..._

Arthur nodded slowly and leaned forward, his forehead pressing gently against Alfred's. He took a deep breath and pressed his lips to the other man's, his jaw trembling ever-so-slightly when Alfred thoughtlessly returned the gesture with a kiss of his own. Arthur chuckled breathlessly and pulled away, his eyes softer and happier than Alfred had ever seen.

"Thank you," he breathed. He pressed one more kiss to Alfred's red lips and pushed away from the bed with a quiet grunt. "I will leave you to rest. Thank you for your time."

"I think..." Alfred took in a deep breath and forced himself to smile. "That I should be thanking you."

Arthur's breath hitched and he nodded before hastily leaving the room, a small spring in his step. Alfred waited until the door had closed behind the captain before he buried his face in his shaking hands, tremors racing through his body as he tried to hold back a sob.

_I can't do this... I can't do this... I can't hurt him... I can't do this... I can't see face him again after Kiku tells him... I can't do this..._

"...Alfred-san."

Alfred glanced up and stared as Kiku sidled into the room, his brown eyes thoughtful.

"You didn't tell him," the blonde stated quietly.

Kiku shook his head slowly, his lips pursed. "No..."

"Why?"

The Asian shrugged and glanced away. "You saved my brother Yong Soo... I have decided to return the favor."

"How?" Alfred croaked. "I can't do this, Kiku. I can't... I can't lie anymore."

The Japanese man nodded slowly and wordlessly held out his hand. "The deck above us is deserted. I had Yao and Li gather the crew in the kitchen to celebrate your recovery."

Alfred frowned and slowly pulled himself to his feet, his brow furrowing when Kiku wordlessly handed him a clean shirt and a pair of pants.

"There are boots at the end of the bed," Kiku explained. "I will wait outside while you change."

Alfred nodded and hurried to change into the clothes, his jaw tightening at the pain that came with his sudden movements. It barely took him a minute to change and join Kiku on the silent deck, only moments for them to cross towards another figure that slumped silently against the rails of the ship.

An olive-skinned man with messy brown hair and sleepy green eyes watched quietly as Kiku escorted Alfred towards him, his hands skimming gently across the fur of a cat that was resting in his lap.

"...The boat is ready to be lowered," he said slowly.

Kiku bowed in thanks and offered the man a small smile. "... Thank you, Heracles."

Heracles smiled back, earning a blush from the Asian man. Kiku cleared his throat and gestured for Alfred to climb into the small dinghy, his lips tightening.

"We are less than ten miles from the nearest port," Kiku explained quietly. "Arthur-dono will not stop there, so you will be safe from detection. Lie low until Heracles comes to find you. If all goes well, he will have your brother. Then you may go home. There will be gold tucked into the boat for you to use. Good luck."

Alfred nodded slowly, struggled to swallow the pain and regret that were rising within his chest. "T-thank you, Kiku."

Kiku bowed in acknowledgment and helped Alfred into the dinghy, a small smile gracing his lips. "You are welcome, Alfred-san. It was nice having you as a friend."

Alfred laughed bitterly. "Yeah right... I was no friend to you."

"You saved my life."

Alfred shook his head and cast a pleading glance up at the Asian. "What will you do when Francis comes after you?"

The Asian stiffened and raised his chin, his brown eyes glinting in defiance. "What we always do. We will fight."

Alfred nodded slowly. "...Take care of Arthur. Please. Tell him... If he'll listen, tell him I'm sorry for hurting him. And- And that-" He stopped and looked away, unable to say what he wanted to.

"I will, Alfred-san," Kiku whispered. "Farewell."

Alfred allowed the Asian and his friend to lower the dinghy into the water, his hands clasped tightly around the two oars that had been tucked into the small boat. He faced the towering facade of Arthur's ship as he began to pull away towards the nearest port, ignoring the tears that started to stream down his face as soon as the ship disappeared into the darkness of the sea.

_Good-bye... I'm sorry..._

**Muahahahaha~ Not much to say here, actually so... Enjoy! Review! Tell me what ya think!**

**Also, James is Scotland, Cian is Ireland, and William is Wales, in case you were wondering. And I bet ya'll know who Peter is~!**

**Please continue to pray for my speech coach and his wife. Thank you.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Arthur Kirkland stood over the rough wooden table that took up most of his quarters, his palms pressing into the numerous maps and charts that coated its surface like some sort of tablecloth. He ducked his head to avoid Kiku's knowing brown eyes, his tangled golden locks doing nothing to hide the traitorous dew that now coated his dull green eyes.

"...Are you sure about this?" he asked quietly, his voice hoarse.

"Hai," Kiku whispered sadly. "He told me himself."

"...I see."

"Arthur-dono, please try to understand. He was trying to protect his brother, just like you-"

"He is nothing like me!" Arthur shouted, his eyes closing in shame immediately after his outburst. "... I wouldn't have done such a- such an awful-"

"Oh, wouldn't you?" Jack broke in quietly, making Arthur jump. Kirkland glanced over at the two sandy-haired siblings that stood behind Kiku, his raised eyebrows inviting them to continue. Jack raised his chin and took a step forward. "You can talk all you want, mate, but none of us are any better than Jones. He lied, but we've damned well lied more, and for worse reasons. He was supposed to get us all killed, but from where I stand it seems he's saved more than he's hurt."

"He's still a traitor, Jack," Kate called quietly.

"He's still my _friend_," the Australian retorted stubbornly. "And I'll be damned if he isn't the friend of every other person on this ship."

"He's not mine," Arthur whispered, effectively silencing the siblings. After a moment, he turned and began to walk out of the quarters, not even bothering to excuse himself as he shoved Kate out of the way. "I need to be alone. Kate, take charge. Prepare the crew. Who knows when Francis-" The Briton broke off abruptly as he opened the door to his quarters, his eyes when he came face-to-face with the barrel of a pistol.

Captain Francis Bonnefoy smirked at Arthur from the other end of the pistol, his blue eyes glittering with a savage triumph.

"_Bonjour, mon amour._ Did you miss me?" he purred.

"Frog," Arthur spat, his hand going immediately to the hilt of the sword at his waist as Jack, Kate, and Kiku gathered behind him.

"Drop your weapons," Francis ordered sweetly. "Or we kill what little of your crew are still alive."

Kiku paled and took a step forward, his brown eyes flashing dangerously.

"If you've hurt my family-" he began.

"The only one you should really be worried about is yourself, understand?" a masked sailor snapped from Francis's right side.

Kiku merely frowned and glanced questioningly at Arthur. Captain Kirkland sighed and threw his sword onto the ground in front of the Frenchman, his emerald eyes mutinous. Francis chuckled merrily as the other three followed suit and motioned for his crew to bind the four sailors before he led them out onto the deck. Jack, Kate, and Kiku were quickly shoved into the throng of bruised and bloody crew members that were gathered around the mainmast, leaving Arthur alone between two of Francis's guards.

Captain Bonnefoy chuckled and ran a smooth finger along the edge of Arthur's jaw, his smile twisting unpleasantly when the British man jerked violently away from his touch.

"I knew that _mon cher_ Alfred would not succeed in killing you, _mon amour_," the Frenchman whispered. "You are far to strong to fall to a mere boy."

"Who _will_ I fall to then, bloody bastard?" Arthur snarled, ignoring the way his heart lurched with protective fury and deep, aching sadness at the mention of Alfred's name.

Francis hummed and leaned forward to brush his lips against the Brit's cheek, his nails digging into the younger man's skin when he tried to pull away.

"I shall make it my personal mission to find out, _love_," he sneered.

"Bonnefoy."

Francis glanced over his shoulder, his eyebrows raised seductively when he caught sight of the dark-haired girl leaning against the rails a few feet away from him, the tip of her sword pressed almost-lazily against the throat of a furious Yao. The girl winked at the Frenchman and gesture lazily towards some billowing sails that had just begun to appear on the horizon behind Francis's ship, their brilliant scarlet sails bright against the light blue sky.

"Honhonhon~ It seems our next guest has arrived just on time," Francis chuckled. "Sadik, please send a signal to Captain Braginski and Gilbert."

The masked man nodded and darted up the main mast with the agility of a squirrel. Arthur watched the man ascend, his heart sinking in his chest.

What else had Francis done?

USUK*USUK*USUK

Matthew Williams opened his eyes to a room draped with red and gold. He blinked and slowly pulled himself into a sitting position, his brows furrowing behind crooked glasses as silken sheets slipped from his bare shoulders and pooled in his lap. His nostrils flared as the heady scent of sunflowers overwhelmed him, his violet eyes softening as they flickered towards the large vase of the bright flowers that had been placed reverently on a table next to the bed.

"...Ivan," he whispered.

"You called?"

Matthew jumped, his head whipping around in the direction of the voice as a tall, broad-shouldered man slipped silently through a heavy oak door, his bright purple eyes cautious beneath his platinum-blond hair.

"Matvey," he sighed in relief. "It is good to see you awake, da?"

"H-how long have I been...?"

"About two days," the Russian answered flatly. "Katyusha says that your body couldn't handle the stress of seeing me when you were already... so weak..." Ivan's eyes flashed with a fury that Matthew knew well.

The younger boy smiled slightly, his violet eyes sad beneath his wavy blonde hair.

"You h-haven't changed," he whispered quietly, immediately catching Ivan's attention.

"Haven't I?" Ivan chuckled darkly. "I'm far less innocent than I was when you last saw me, Matvey."

"Y-you were n-never innocent, Ivan," Matthew murmured. "A-and I was talking about you, not the people that y-you've killed. You're all I r-really cared about, you know. Not your actions."

Ivan smiled bitterly and came to sit in a chair beside Matthew's bed, his fingers playing with the frayed edges of his scarf.

"You might not think like that after today," he sighed. "I've made a terrible deal, Matey."

"...W-with Francis."

Ivan nodded. "I wanted revenge. On that Swiss bastard whose sister rules England, whose soldiers killed my grandfather in a crackdown on piracy years ago. I didn't know..."

"T-that Francis was an even w-worse bastard?" Matthew guessed bitterly.

"...Da." Ivan turned away, unable to stand the anger in Matthew's eyes. "I'm sorry."

"M-me too," Matthew admitted. After a moment, he added "Did you r-really want to leave?"

"Leave you? Nyet," Ivan sighed. "I wouldn't have gone at all, if it weren't for Natalya and Katyusha... And my grandfather's ship. I felt that they needed me."

"I k-know," Matthew sighed. He smiled wryly and ran a hand through his silky blonde hair. "H-how was life as a p-pirate, by the way?"

"Lonely," Ivan murmured. "Natalya took over as captain when she turned fifteen. She was- is better at the life than I am. I have only stayed this long because she needs a man to represent her. No one would take a female pirate seriously." He paused and offered Matthew a shy smile. "I thought about you. Every day. I hoped... that you would let me come back to you someday."

"I w-would have," Matthew admitted quietly. "...W-what happens now?"

Ivan shrugged. "Bonnefoy still has your German friends and the Italian on his ship. He only allowed me to take you to make sure that my crew would still fight for him. Based on the signal sent to us several minutes ago, he has already captured Kirkland's ship. Natalya and the Germans are leading an attack on the Spaniard Carriedo as we speak."

"Kirkland... Alfred was on that ship."

Ivan ducked his head in a nod, his purple eyes sad. "I am sorry... I don't know what has become of him."

Matthew sighed, his lips curving into a small smile when Ivan's large fingers curled around his own.

"I-Ivan-" he began, his voice dying in his throat when he heard the unmistakeable sound of cannon-fire. "_Mon Dieu..._"

"The attack has begun," Ivan declared simply.

USUK*USUK*USUK

Lovino Vargas fucking _hated_ his life.

"Oi! My arms are up here, you goddamned bastard!" he snarled as one of Francis's crewmates started to get a little too familiar with his waist. The man snorted, his hands quickly going to a more satisfactory position when he caught sight of Captain Antonio Carriedo's icy emerald glare.

Lovino simply rolled his eyes and looked away before the Spaniard could meet his gaze, his cheeks burning a bright red before paling to a deathly white as he thought of the trouble that he had brought to these damned pirates that had somehow become his friends.

Across the deck, he could hear Bella swearing colorfully in dutch while Lars hissed death threats to anyone that got too rough with his little sister. Little Felipe was sniffling, his small hand wrapped tightly around his bleeding wrist, while Isabella and Carlos stood silently between their guards, their dark eyes locked anxiously on each other. Carmen had been pulled forcefully out of the crow's nest several seconds ago, her furious screams still raw in Lovino's ringing ears. She was silent now, her lips pressing into a tight line the moment she saw the gun that was pressed against Antonio's temple.

Antonio...

Lovino bit back a whimper at the thought of the pirate captain, that fucking _idiotic_ bastard who had saved his ass so many times, had spent an extra day at port and almost gotten arrested by the Navy just so Lovino could have a damn tomato for his fucking birthday.

Antonio, who had threatened to murder anyone who dared to harm a hair on Lovino's head, even when the young Italian had told him what a spineless traitor he really was.

_Now they're going to die_, he thought bitterly. _Damn bastards..._

"Honhonhon~ Well, I didn't realize that you would fall so quickly, _mon ami_."

Lovino stiffened, his amber eyes closing briefly at the sound of the accent that would be haunting his nightmares until he died. He turned in the direction of the voice, his heart sinking when he saw the French bastard's ship pull up beside Antonio's, his arms draped casually around Feliciano's thin, trembling shoulders. Lovino heard Ludwig draw in a sharp breath, his lips twisting into a sympathetic smirk.

_How the hell do you think I feel, potato bastard?_

_ "Bonjour_, Lovino~," Francis greeted cheerfully. "I am so happy to see that you are still alive... for now."

"Francis." Antonio's voice- usually so cheerful and soft- was hard as flint now, his eyes flashing a venomous green. "I wonder what you mean by this unexpected _mi amigo?_ I didn't think that you missed me that much."

Francis chuckled and ran his fingers through Feliciano's auburn hair, eliciting a small whimper from the boy. Ludwig cursed and took a step towards the Frenchman's ship, only to be held back by a stony-faced Gilbert.

"True~" Bonnefoy chuckled. "Although it has been far too long since we last met, _mon cher_ Antonio, I'm afraid that I'm here for other reasons." With that, the Frenchman nodded towards the man who was holding Lovino.

The crewman nodded and dragged Lovino to the rail on the other side of the deck. Lovino gulped as he came face-to-face with the swirling ocean below Antonio's ship, his curl bobbing nervously.

"W-what the hell?" he yelped. "Let go of me, bastard!"

"Francis!" Antonio growled.

"I'm assuming you know, _mon ami_, that little Lovino is supposed to be working for me? I told him that he needed to kill you, assuming of course that you did not kill him first. Obviously," Francis smirked. "I overestimated the lure of Italians and _under_estimated your desire for revenge. Pity."

"_F-fratello_!" Feliciano called, his voice breaking into a sob.

"Let me _go_ bastard! I did what you told me to!"

"Wrong," Francis corrected sweetly. "You did not kill Antonio. If my sources were corrected, you actually tried to _help_ him. So, really, Lovino, you failed. Just like Alfred." The Frenchman paused, his lighthearted expression melting into something much more dangerous. "And do you know, _mon cher_, what I do to failures?"

Lovino gulped, his arms trembling as the sailor holding him began to back away.

"Ludwig," Francis cooed. "Take care of him, _oui_?"

Ludwig stared at his captain, his wide blue eyes flickering between the Frenchman and Feliciano with barely-concealed alarm. "I-I-"

Francis tsked and brushed his fingers through Feliciano's hair, revealing a slim silver dagger tucked into his sleeves. "We only need one twin, Ludwig. I suggest you choose which one we keep."

"L-Ludwig!" Feliciano shrieked, his hazel eyes streaming with tears. "_P-per favore!_ Don't do it! Please!"

"Shoot me, goddammit!" Lovino shouted, trying to drown out his brother's screams. "I'm going to die anyway!"

"Lovi!" Antonio yelled, his emerald eyes wild. The Spaniard threw himself against the arms of his captors, trying desperately to get to the Italian.

"Ludwig! Don't shoot him! P-please!"

"_Shoot me_ potato bastard!"

Ludwig shuddered and stumbled backwards, his hand fumbling for the pistol sheathed at his belt. Feliciano sobbed and struggled weakly against Francis's grip, his lips trembling as he continued to plead with the German. Lovino simply fell silent, his muscles tensing, screams echoing in his ears.

_Make it end... Make it end... Just let me save him... Just let it end..._

A gunshot. Pain. Fire that ripped through his chest and slowly began to eat him alive as he choked on his own screams. Lovino's knees buckled and he fell to the deck, his amber eyes sweeping sluggishly across the faces of those around him.

Ludwig's horrified blue eyes, his usually strong jaw slack with shock and a sorrow that Lovino didn't think he deserved.

The determined expression in Gilbert's scarlet eyes, the way his white knuckles turned whiter as they clutched the butt of the pistol that was still smoking and aimed at Lovino's chest.

Feliciano's screams, his innocent hazel eyes wild and haunted by a devastating sorrow, his hands flailing and clawing against Francis's skin and clothing in an effort to reach his brother.

Felipe and Bella crying. Isabella praying quietly in Spanish. Lars and Carmen shouting and yelling curses to the sky.

And Antonio... Only, he couldn't really hear Antonio. The Spanish bastard's shouts were silent, his tanned lips moving soundlessly, his knees buckling as he fell, his screaming emerald eyes on level with Lovino's for the briefest of moments.

Lovino was moving suddenly, his legs swept out from under him as the sea appeared beneath his head.

Falling... Falling... Such an odd feeling, falling... And the sea, looming up in front of him, endless blue that gleamed in the sunlight.

_Except for that one patch..._ Lovino thought vaguely, his eyes already slipping closed in exhaustion. _Why the hell is it brown... Wood... there shouldn't be wood on the ocean... And glasses..._

_ There shouldn't be glasses, either._

"LOVINO!"

_Ti amo... bastardo._

**Heh, well, I think I could have done that a bit better... Eh, oh well. Raise your hands if you guys think I'm being especially cruel~!**

**Anyways, thanks to everyone who reviewed last time, and special thanks to every one who has kept my speech coach's wife in their thoughts/prayers. It really means a lot.**

**Oh yeah, and in case you guys were wondering who Antonio's crew was...**

** Bella- Belgium**

** Lars- the Netherlands**

** Carlos- Peru**

** Isabella- Argentina**

** Carmen- Mexico**

** Felipe- If you read any of my states stuff, you would know. I just had to put my little Puerto Rico in there somewhere~**

**Sorry I didn't have all of Spain's former underlings in there, but I didn't really have room for all of them so... yeah. I'm really sorry. :( Oh, also, I'm kind of on the fence about whether or not to include more of Lovi's side of this lovely mess in a separate fic. What do you guys think? Let me know, okay?**

**Please review! Review! Review!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Alfred's brow furrowed slightly as he watched the two ships draw closer to each other, his ears still ringing from the cannon fire that had echoed towards him across the sea barely an hour before. Now there was a third ship in the picture, its ivory sails tainted with the barest hint of delicate blue. Alfred felt his heart sink in his chest, his knuckles turning white around the handles of the oars that continued to push him away from the sea, away from the chaotic fights and searing regret that still burned within him.

The air around him was silent as the new ship drew up to the other side of the ship with brilliant scarlet sails, effectively trapping it. Alfred kept his eyes locked on the three ships, his shoulders rising and falling with each heavy breath that ripped through his lungs as he forced himself not to look for emerald sails on the horizon, forced himself not to wonder if the French bastard had already reached Arthur, if Arthur had managed to fight Bonnefoy off like Kiku had claimed, if Matthew was still alive now that Alfred had fled...

Another gun shot cracked the stillness of the air, the first in a while. Except... This one was quieter than the other shots that had shrieked across the ocean before. This shot... It belonged to a pistol.

Moments passed, and there was silence. Alfred fancied for a moment that he heard screams and cries coming towards him across the ocean, but he was too far away to tell. The dinghy continued to take him farther and farther away from the three ships, his blue eyes watching warily behind his glasses as Francis's ship pulled away from the ship with the scarlet sails, a third ship with sunflower-yellow sails following close behind. Alfred turned away before the cannons started again, his jaw clenching when he heard the doomed ship crack and scream as it was sent spiraling down into the depths that had carried it earlier in the day. He shook his head and cast his eyes around the ocean surrounding him, trying to find something that would draw his attention away from the-

Was that a raft?

Alfred frowned and leaned forward, his arms slowing to a stop as he ceased pulling the oars of the dinghy. A small wooden raft bobbed along on the waves of the ocean barely twenty feet away from him, its rough brown surface broken only by two crumpled forms that looked distinctly human.

The blond gritted his teeth and began to maneuver the dinghy towards the raft, his eyes widening when one of the raft's inhabitants raised his chocolate brown head and stared at him through weary and disdainful violet eyes that weren't quite hidden by delicate glasses.

"Oh my God," Alfred gasped as he drew up beside them.

The brown-haired man sniffed in contempt, the strange curl on the his head standing defiantly straight despite the salt water that tried desperately to drag it down.

"There's no need for such language," the man scolded, his Austrian accent thickening with the tiniest hint of nervousness when Alfred continued to stare at him. "W-Would you be so kind as to stop staring at me? I've got someone who needs medical attention."

Alfred blinked and stared beyond the brunette to the other form that occupied the raft, his heart immediately sinking when he caught sight of familiar dark auburn hair and a single curl that was now drooping across the side of the young man's face.

"Shit, Lovino," he groaned.

The dark-haired man shot Alfred a reproachful look but made no comment as they carefully lifted the unconscious Italian into the dinghy. Alfred's breath caught in his throat when he saw the unmistakeable hole in the Italian's loose white shirt, his blue eyes automatically sweeping across the small, trembling body for any sign of blood. Nothing.

"...He did get shot, right?" Alfred muttered, his hand shooting out automatically to help the dark-haired man into the dinghy.

The man nodded, his purple eyes softening infinitesimally as he glanced down at the teen that was now huddled in the bow of the small boat.

"Yes," he sighed. "His medal stopped the bullet from entering his body, although the impact seems to have knocked him out."

"Medal...?" Alfred turned back to Lovino, his fingers gently pushing the folds of the Italian's shirt off of the smooth skin of his chest. He paused when he caught sight of the thick golden medal that rested against the teen's heaving chest, the carvings on its surface barely visible beneath the flattened disk of lead that had slammed its way into the surface.

"How the hell is that possible?" Alfred asked, his voice awed.

The other man shrugged and glared sullenly at the oars that Alfred had abandoned moments ago. "It looks like a religious medal... I guess he found the right god to worship."

Alfred frowned and pulled away from Lovino, his gaze now shifting warily towards the dark-haired man.

"... I didn't think that I'd see you again," he admitted quietly.

The Austrian glared at him. "I suppose not. Your _captain_ was so kind to throw me overboard after he shot me... His aim is awful, by the way. I was only hit in the arm."

Alfred blinked in surprise and followed the man's gaze to his bandage right arm, his eyebrows raised in surprise. Why hadn't Arthur-?

"I still have no idea how Gilbert found me," the Austrian admitted reluctantly. "Leave it to that bastard to be _fishing_ in the middle of the ocean less than a mile away from a naval battle. He took me back onto another pirate ship and kept me hidden below... At least until he decided to throw me overboard again with a raft and told me to stay nearby so that I could rescue..." The man paused and glanced over at Lovino, his purple eyes slightly awed despite himself. "I still have no idea how he knew that this kid would need my help."

Alfred shook his head. "Honestly, from what I saw of Gilbert, I didn't even know that he could plan something like that."

The man smirked. "Neither did I." After a moment, he added "I suppose you want to know my name."

Alfred shrugged and offered him a small smile. "Yeah, a little. I'm Alfred, by the way. Alfred F. Jones." He held out one of his hands with a slightly-forced grin, his lips quirking upwards into the tiniest of smirks when the man gingerly accepted it.

"...Edelstein. Lord Roderich Edelstein."

Alfred raised his eyebrows and hurriedly moved to take his position at the oars once again, his mouth remaining closed until he had moved the dinghy away from the floating raft.

"Lord, huh?" he mused, his blue eyes flickering over his shoulder every-so-often as he searched for a sign of the port that Kiku had told him about. "What were ya doing out here, then?"

Roderich bristled at Alfred's awful grammar and sighed, his delicate fingers laced tightly in his lap as he took a seat near the sleeping Lovino.

"...I was- _am_ an important adviser to Prince Vash and his sister, Queen Lili," he admitted quietly. "The Prince and I are... close. However, we do have a tendency to... clash, I suppose, since he is so stubborn. Elizabeta-" Roderich's lips twisted into a half-amused, half-exasperated grin at the mention of the Hungarian girl that Alfred had last seen on Arthur's ship. "She was alarmed by Vash's harsh policies towards pirates, especially since she believed that Gilbert was still held prisoner on one of the ships. She begged me to bring her case before Vash as a token of our... long friendship. Unfortunately, I suppose that Vash took my support of her case the wrong way. He got angry, I lost my temper, there was an argument... Long story short, I left less than a week later on the first naval ship that I could find, Elizabeta at my side. I suppose that the navy has reported my death by now," Roderich mused, his purple eyes sad. "After all, they have no reason to suppose otherwise."

"So... you and the prince, huh?" Alfred chuckled, his eyes darkening with something that he wouldn't admit was jealousy.

Roderich stiffened and glared at him. "...I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Sure you don't," Alfred laughed.

"...Fucking bastard."

The two men turned immediately at the sound of Lovino's quiet voice, twin sighs of relief breaking through their lips when the teen stirred and slowly pulled himself up into a sitting position, his amber eyes tightening with pain at the movement. The Italian froze when he caught sight of Roderich and Alfred, his brow furrowing in confused anger.

"W-what the hell?" he snarled. "Where the fucking _hell_ am I? I- W-Where's Antonio? C-Chigi, if I'm dead, you damn bastards are _so_-"

"Whoa, chill it, man," Alfred laughed. "I don't think you're dead or anything. Gilbert got Roddy here to save you, so now your stuck with us! Who's Antonio, by the way?"

Lovino stared open-mouthed at Alfred, his cheeks flaring a bright red as he processed what was happening.

"I-I- he's nobody, you nosy bastard! And why the hell aren't _you_ dead? That French son of a bitch said that he kills failures, and you failed and- Where the hell are we going anyways? I need to go back for my _fratello_!"

"I don't think that that would be the best idea," Roderich said flatly. "And by the way, Antonio is the first name of Captain Carriedo, the one who was in charge of that ship that Captain Bonnefoy sunk. The captain should still be alive, I believe... After all, Bonnefoy kept your captain around, Mr. Jones."

Alfred paused for a moment, his fingers tightening around the oars once more.

"...So they got Arthur," he sighed.

Lovino paused in his stream of curses and shot Alfred a knowing look. "...You couldn't kill him too, right bastard?"

Alfred laughed shakily and shook his head. "Nope. I probably failed the moment I caught sight of those adorable eyebrows."

Lovino snorted and glanced away, his chin quivering slightly. "...Yeah."

Roderich remained silent.

Alfred sighed and continued to row, a low groan breaking through his lips when he failed once again to catch sight of any land.

"Oh for God's sake," he groaned. "Where the hell is that port that Kiku told me about?"

Roderich frowned and moved forward to sit closer to Alfred, his sharp purple eyes sweeping across the ocean with an experienced gaze. After a moment, he pointed silently to a point directly in front of them.

"There," he said simply. "There's a small bump on the horizon. That usually means land."

Alfred breathed a sigh of relief and began to row with renewed vigor, a small chuckle breaking through his lips when Roderich silently took one of the oars from him.

"So, what, the rich noble isn't above doing hard labor?" he teased.

Roderich rolled his eyes. "Your language is vulgar. Now be quiet."

Gilbert kept his hands curled tightly around the arms of two of Antonio's crew members, trying to ignore the screams curses that had been directed his way ever since Lovino had been thrown carelessly over the side of the ship. He held back a flinch as one of the girls in his grip scratched her sharp nails against his skin and drew blood.

"_Bastardo_!" she shrieked.

"Yeah, I get it, I'm a fucking bastard," Gilbert sighed. "Now please shut up."

It really didn't surprise him when they didn't listen.

Ludwig was waiting by the door to the brig to take the two prisoners from his brother, his light blue eyes not quite able to meet Gilbert's as he carefully shoved the two girls into the crowded cell, his expression tightening when Feliciano's cries slipped through the open door.

"I think that's the last of them, _bruder_," Gilbert sighed. "Well, except for the captains. Francis and Sadik are taking care of them."

Ludwig shrugged and moved to go into the brig, only to be held back by Gilbert's restraining hand.

"Stop avoiding me, Ludwig," Gilbert growled. "You know I had to do it."

"...No you didn't," Ludwig murmured.

"Yes, I did. ….Tell Feli that I'm sorry."

"Do you really think that that will help anything?" Ludwig snapped. "He won't forgive either of us for this, Gilbert."

The Prussian shrugged, his thoughts flickering to Roderich again with a sort of desperate hope. _Gott, Roddy, please tell me you rescued that kid..._

Elizabeta glanced up from the crying Italian that had recently made her a pillow, her green eyes focusing intently on the door as two more prisoners were shoved into the crowded cell. A huff of disappointment broke through her lips when she failed once again to catch sight of a certain albino, her fingers fluttering nervously as she brushed a few more tears away from Feliciano's streaming eyes, her heart sinking when the teen gasped out another curse that seemed so out of place in his angelic face... A curse that was quickly followed by a name that she knew very well.

_Gilbert... You idiot, what have you done now?_

Arthur had been in worse prisons.

The pirate captain leaned gingerly against the damp wooden wall, his eyes tightening as the moisture soaked easily through the thin fabric of his shirt. Damn that frog for taking away his coat...

Carriedo shifted in the far corner of the room, his first voluntary movement since they had both been thrown into the cell. Arthur forced himself not to stare at the Spaniard's dull emerald eyes, silently wondering what Bonnefoy had done to him...

"Stop staring at me, Kirkland."

Arthur stiffened and turned away, his cheeks burning slightly. Damn, he hadn't realized that he was still looking at the Spaniard...

"Sorry," Arthur sighed.

"...Didn't expect to see you captured before me, _amigo_," Antonio mused, his voice hoarse.

"...Didn't expect to see you captured at all, Carriedo," Arthur shot back. "Not after the last time we ran into each other."

Antonio chuckled humorlessly. "_Si_, I suppose I should have learned my lesson."

"What happened?" Arthur asked casually. "You're usually more than a match for the frog."

Antonio's eyes darkened, telling Arthur that he'd chosen the wrong topic of conversation.

"...I was distracted," the Spaniard whispered, his expression twisted with a sorrow that Arthur never wanted to experience. "And it cost me... _Dios mio..._ I cost me so much..."

"Antonio?"

"Lovi... _Dios_... L-Lovi..."

"Who is-?" Arthur began, trying desperately to break the Spaniard out of whatever hell he had fallen into.

"H-He... Oh God, he was so scared when he told me what he had done... T-thought that I would kill him because he was working for F-Francis..." Antonio gasped with what was almost laughter and turned away. "Turns out I did get him killed..."

"Wait... Francis planted someone for you, too? And you fell for them?"

"There was nothing to fall for!" Antonio snarled. "Lovi never wanted to kill me, he never hurt me!"

"Yes, that's what they've all been telling me about Alfred," Arthur snapped. "That doesn't exactly change the fact that he lied to me and left without telling me the truth."

Antonio paused and glanced at Arthur, the desperate grief fading slightly from his eyes as he thought over the British man's words.

"... If he _had_ told you, what would you have done?" he asked.

Arthur shrugged and turned away. "I don't know, to be honest..."

"Would you have killed him?"

Arthur started to shake his head, then stopped, remembering what he had told his crew the first time they set sail together, only days after Francis's betrayal.

_"I will not be cruel. If you respect me, I will respect you. But if you betray me... I will show no mercy. You will be dead."_

"_Amigo_," Antonio sighed, his lips quirking upwards in understanding. "Perhaps it was better that Alfred left when he did, even if he lied to you. Otherwise..." The Spaniard swallowed hard, his scarred hands clenched into tight fists in his lap. "How would you have felt, if you watched him get shot and thrown away from you?"

Arthur shook his head, remembering the panic that had taken hold of him when Alfred had nearly been killed by that damned sailor from the navy, remembering the hours he spent with bated breath by the younger man's bedside, silently begging whatever power existed in the universe that Alfred would just wake up, just give him one more smile...

"I would want to die," he admitted hoarsely.

"...I already do," Antonio murmured.

**Heh, this was fun to write! Well... Yeah, I don't really have anything to add here for once... Anyways, thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Your reviews make me smile evilly and freak people out! ...er, I mean... yeah...**

**Well, please keep reviewing and tell me how I'm doing! (no, that did not rhyme... oh God, it did...)**

**Also, please keep praying for my speech coach's wife. Thank you!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"Oh for the love o' God, Cian! How many times have I told ye, ye need ta _pull_ the rope, not _yank_ it!"

"Shut up, James! I don' see ya tryin' ta help!"

"Because apparently ye can't do anythin' without me telling ye how!"

William Kirkland sighed and sat calmly on the edge of the stone wall that separated the docks from the crashing sea below, his light green eyes sweeping the violent waves in an attempt to find some calm.

"Will!" Cian whined, his salt-water-soaked amber hair falling into his freckled face in a damp curtain. "Tell James ta give me a break!"

William shrugged and brushed a strand of his strawberry blond hair behind his ear, pretending not to notice as a taller man with brilliant red hair pulled Cian into a choke-hold and rubbed his knuckles against the Irishman's hair.

"Whinin's fer babes, mate," James chortled over Cian's struggles. "Now get back ta work!"

"Will!" Cian cried again.

"Why am I always called to stop all of your fights?" William sighed exasperatedly, not really expecting an answer.

As always, his brothers continued arguing without paying him any heed, leaving William free to stare out across the roiling sea, his brows furrowing delicately when he noticed the clouds that had begun to stretch across the sun in a thick blanket of grey. Damn, he hated storms... they always reminded him of Arthur...

"Uh, hey! Dude!"

William blinked in surprise and glanced down at the sea in front of him, his thick eyebrows disappearing into his hair when he saw a small dinghy tossed about on the waves, its three inhabitants staring up at him with something akin to pleading in their gazes. A man with short, wheat-colored hair and bright blue eyes slightly hidden by wire-framed glasses waved up at William, his lips quirking upwards into a bright smile.

"Hey!" the young man called again. "Think you could give us a hand?"

William blinked down at the three strangers for a moment before he turned his head, his eyes narrowing when he saw that James and Cian were still fighting.

"Cian. James," he called calmly, his voice carrying easily over their struggles. "These gentlemen need our help."

James stiffened and effortlessly threw Cian away from him, his glittering green eyes widening slightly when he saw the three men in the dinghy.

"Hang on a minute, mates," he called down cheerfully. "We'll be down ta help ye out soon."

The blond nodded and bent to help a pale and flustered boy with amber hair to his feet. William frowned at the boy's obvious weakness and clambered down the stone wall after Cian and James, pointedly ignoring the stone stairs that had been built into the rock several feet away. The three brothers leaped easily into the dinghy, nearly sending an annoyed man with chocolate brown hair and violet eyes into the sea. The third stranger grumbled something under his breath about uncouth commoners and gingerly accepted William's proffered hand, his features twisting into a pained grimace when the Welshman pulled him roughly onto the nearest stair.

"Be careful, please," the man hissed curtly. "My arm is injured."

William spared a quick glance at the bandage wrapped around the man's arm and shrugged. "My apologies. Am I correct in assuming that you can climb the rest of these stairs on your own?"

The man nodded stiffly and took a shaky step forward, his knees nearly crashing to the ground until William caught him and held him up. James and Cian barked out loud laughs from behind them, their own arms wrapped securely around the other two occupants of the boat. One of the strangers, the man with golden blond hair, chuckled as well, his blue eyes an odd mixture of amusement and pain beneath his glasses.

"Smooth, Roddy," the blond called.

The brunette in William's grip glared in disgust, his violet eyes flashing behind his own glasses. "My name is _Roderich_, Alfred, in case you've forgotten."

"That's a god-awful name, ye know," James mused cheerfully. "Roderich... Sounds like somethin' ye'd name a dog."

"That's an insult to dogs," Cian added with a chuckle, earning himself a scathing glare from Roderich.

"Be careful what you say _peasant_," Roderich hissed. "You do not know who you're talking to."

William clenched his jaw and gave the brunette a sharp tug on his injured arm, causing the man to grimace.

"Take care what _you_ say, mate," he warned calmly. "We don't take kindly to noblemen here."

"Trust me, that bastard is the only noble," the weary boy with amber hair snapped. "Now will you please hurry the hell up before I collapse again, asshole?"

Cian snickered and easily threw the boy over his shoulder, causing the teen to yelp in shock and pain. James snorted and glanced down at the blond whose arm was currently thrown over his shoulder.

"So, do ye boys have names?" he asked conversationally.

The blond nodded and flashed him an easy grin.

"Alfred F. Jones is the name," he greeted. "The guy who keeps swearing is called Lovino Vargas, and the stuck-up little jacka-"

"Roderich Edelstein," Roderich interrupted hastily, his violet eyes narrowed dangerously in Alfred's direction.

James paused and glanced up at William and Cian, who had just reached the top of the stairs with their respective burdens. The brothers stared down at him, their jade-green eyes narrowed.

"Lord Edelstein?" Cian guessed. "Prince Vash's... friend?"

"...You could say that," Roderich admitted warily.

William shuddered and slowly drew away from the noble, his hands still lingering over the other man's sleeves in case he fell.

"Your father was the governor of Ireland, wasn't he?" the Welshman guessed quietly. "The one whose troops killed our father during a raid."

Roderich stiffened and curled his slim hands into fists. "...I apologize, but that was self-defense. If it's any consolation, my mother was killed during that raid... She was with child."

William winced and glanced back at James as the elder brother reached the top of the stairs with a strangely-subdued Alfred. James sighed and carefully pushed Alfred away, his fists coming to rest on his hips.

"Alright, we've helped ye an' ye're out of danger," he growled. "Now get away from us."

"No, wait," Alfred interrupted. "Look, we really need some help, okay?"

"Why should we help ya?" Cian demanded harshly.

"Please," Alfred insisted. "Lots of people will get hurt if we don't get some serious help, and right now you three are the only-"

"We're not anything, actually," William interjected. "And we certainly don't have to help you."

"...Please?" Alfred whispered, his baby-blue eyes desperate. "You're the only chance I've got to get Arthur back."

The three brothers tensed and stared at the blond for a long moment, their large eyebrows furrowing just as their eyes widened.

"Arthur Kirkland?" Cian whispered. "The pirate captain?"

Alfred nodded slowly, his teeth digging into the skin of his bottom lip.

"H-He's not a bad person," he insisted. "I mean, yeah, he's a pirate but he takes care of his crew and doesn't kill unless it's in self-defense and he only became a pirate because of his asshole brothers and that French bastard of a pirate, so you can't really blame-"

"We don't," William interrupted gently. "We don't blame him. We... We know that Arthur is a good person." A wry smile crossed the Welshman's lips and he brushed a few strands of his strawberry-blond hair out of his eyes. "Although it does surprise me that he's even able to kill anyone... Never knew he had it in him."

"Speak for yerself," James sighed. "The little brat used ta throw his food at me when 'e was a babe, ye know. 'specially when he didn't get any sleep because _somebody_ kept him up all night with stories about damn demon leprechauns!"

"Those things are real!" Cian yelled. "I was just trying ta warn my little brother. Don't ya know what they do to little children when those kids stumble across their stashes o' gold?"

"Stuff it Cian!"

"Wait, wait!" Alfred broke in, his expression slightly panicked as the two brothers started to throttle each other again. "...How do you three-?"

"You're not very smart, are you Jones?" Roderich groaned.

"What's that supposed to-?"

"We're Arthur's asshole brothers," William explained with a wry smile. "And I suppose we do deserve that title, so there's no need to apologize."

"Speak for yourself," Cian muttered, a low yelp breaking through his lips when James swatted his head.

"What happened to Arthur?" James demanded, completely ignoring Cian's mumbled complaints.

Alfred stared between the three brothers, his eyes darkening as he took in the large eyebrows and green eyes that reminded him of Arthur.

"... He's in trouble."

"I still don't understand why we need to listen to the damned aristocrat," Cian moaned, his red head bent over the reigns of a team of horses.

James swatted his brother again and glanced over his shoulder towards the back of the cart, his eyes narrowing apprehensively when he saw Roderich watching them with calm violet eyes.

"...Ye're sure that he'll be there?" the Scotsman asked cautiously.

Roderich simply nodded, the fingers drumming across his soiled breeches the only outward sign of his nervousness. The aristocrat stiffened when he felt Alfred's hand clasp his shoulder and shot the cheerful blond a half-hearted glare.

"I suppose you don't believe in personal space, do you?" he grumbled.

Lovino snorted from the other side of the cart, his narrow shoulders angled as far away from the silent William as was possible in the small space.

"What personal space?" the Italian growled. "I'm not sure which is better, this box or the fucking dinghy." The younger teen yelped as the cart bounced over a small hole in the road, his growls changing quickly into moans when the movement sent spasms of pain through his seriously-abused body. "Fuck... Don't they have any _roads_ here?"

"Please, like those dirt paths in Italy are any better," James scoffed.

"We visited Rome once when our father was still alive," William explained quietly. "He thought it would encourage us to follow him into the Catholic faith... Of course, that was before Cian knocked over a priceless artifact and had us kicked out of the Pantheon... And St. Peter's Square... And the Colosseum... And-"

"Not all of those were my fault!" Cian objected. "Those damn fairies didn't help any!"

Alfred chuckled and leaned back against the low walls of the cart, a half-smile flickering across his lips. Now he knew where Arthur got the idea of 'flying mint bunny'.

The cart fell silent as a large wrought iron gate rose up out of the rolling green hills in front of them, its twisted metal flanked on either side by large stone walls that spread out as far as the eye could see. Roderich took in a deep breath and clambered carefully into the front of the cart, his thin hips slipping easily between James and Cian.

"...Please let me do all of the talking," he murmured.

The two brothers nodded stiffly and watched in heavy silence as a guard approached them from the other side of the gate, his features partially hidden by a carefully-polished metal helmet and a high blue collar.

"Wh's th'r'?" the guard grumbled.

"Huh?" Alfred called blankly, only to be smacked by both Lovino and William.

Roderich ignored the three men behind him and gave the guard a curt nod, his slim brown eyebrows twitching nervously when the man stared back at him with hard sapphire eyes.

"Berwald," the Austrian greeted politely, his voice easily adopting the carefully-refined tone of a courtier. "I'm pleased to see that you are well. If you would be so kind, I wish to have an audience with their majesties."

Berwald simply stared back at Roderich, his face unreadable. "...H'w'd ye kn'w th't th'y'd b' h'r'?"

"This estate has the best grounds for the Prince's target practice," Roderich replied without missing a beat.

Berwald nodded silently and stepped back as the gates opened, the corner of his mouth moving upwards into what could almost be called a smile.

"'e w's 'ps't wh'n th'y t'ld h'm ye w'r' dead," the guard mused.

Roderich's hands clenched into fists in his lap and he nodded brusquely, not quite able to keep the blush off of his cheeks. "...Where might we find him?"

Berwald frowned at the other members of the cart and gestured for another man to join him, his sapphire eyes softening when the smaller man tripped to his side with a bright smile.

"T'no w'll sh'w ye," he said shortly. "'ll t'k' th' h'rs's."

Roderich nodded and pushed Cian and James out of the cart before following them, his foot tapping impatiently against the smooth flagstone walkway as Alfred, William, and Lovino climbed carefully out of the back.

"Lead the way," the Austrian instructed Tino, his fingers still drumming restlessly against the fabric of his pants.

Tino beamed nervously and nodded before walking purposefully up the stone walkway towards an area of the estate's grounds, completely ignoring the large manor that towered over everything and nearly blocked out the sun.

"The prince has been really restless lately," Tino explained with forced cheerfulness. "He's been outside most of the week shooting at targets... And occasionally people if they try and climb over the walls or walk too close. His sister is very worried about him and has tried to get him to rest but he won't even listen to her. Emil- er, I mean, her highness's guard, is insisting that she stay away from the prince until he calms down some more, just in case, you know?"

Roderich nodded absently, his expression growing more and more troubled the more Tino spoke. Alfred simply shook his head in wonder and glanced back at Lovino, who merely looked away and shook William off when the Welshman tried to help him down the path. James and Cian were silent, a tightening of the jaw their only reaction to the gunshots that had begun to echo towards them from the grounds ahead.

Tino's false smile faded the closer they got to the gunshots, his indigo eyes tightening with worry when he saw two men waiting for them at the end of the path, their shoulders stiff with tension.

"Tino..." One of the men greeted flatly, his raised eyebrows the only sign that he had seen Tino's companions. "What's going on?"

"Su-san told me to take them to the prince," Tino explained nervously. "A-and one of them is Lord Edelstein, so I figured that it would be alright."

The second man blinked and stared at Roderich, his lips stretching into a relieved smile beneath his spiky hair.

"Oh thank _God_!" the man groaned. "I was beginning to think that we'd be stuck with an angry- sorry, angrier- prince until he dropped dead or something. Oh wait, aren't you supposed to be dead, Roddy? So, what, you're back from the dead or something? Sweet! Tell me how you did it, alright? I need a backup plan in case Norge actually tries to kill me sometime." The spiky-haired man winked at his companion, who merely frowned.

"Shut up Matthias," the other guard sighed. "Tino, why don't you take Lord Edelstein to the prince and leave the others here for now. I don't want to bother with burying all of their bodies if the prince gets angry."

Roderich rolled his eyes and pushed past his companions towards the gunshots, not even bothering to wait for the flustered Tino. He paused for a moment when he caught sight of a familiar head of cropped blond hair, his traitorous heart pounding in his chest as he remembered the last time he had seen the hair's owner, remembered how Vash's sea-green eyes had burned into him with an accusing glare and told him to leave...

"M-my Lord?" Tino whispered nervously. "Y-You might want to wait here until he sees us, just in case he-"

"No, thank you." The Austrian continued to walk towards the blond prince, his muscles tensing reflexively as the rifle propped against the prince's shoulder continued to fire bullet after bullet into the surfaces of unfortunate straw targets.

None o the shots hit their mark.

Something rose inside of Roderich, temporarily killing his ability to speak. He gulped and took another step forward. If he just stretched out his hand, he could touch-  
>Prince Vash turned just moments before Roderich's fingers brushed against the back of his military jacket, his tired and angry green eyes locking onto worried violets moments before his jaw went slack and the rifle slipped from his hands.<p>

"No..." the prince croaked, awe and misery fighting for dominance in his shaky voice. "No, you can't be alive... Th-they said that it was impossible... S-so you can't be alive!"

Roderich managed to smile and brushed his gloved hands against the blond's cheeks, his smile faltering when he saw the tears that had gathered at the corners of the other man's eyes.

"What did I tell you about jumping to conclusions, Vash?" he sighed.

Vash shook his head furiously, still unable to fully believe what was happening. "I-I didn't, so shut up! They- the captain of that damned ship you were on, he said that he saw you get shot after you confronted that pirate, he said he s-saw you fall..." The prince turned away for a moment, his shoulders trembling with what he would never admit was emotion. "You idiot... How could you be so stupid? You were... you were never meant to be involved in a fight. And I... I drove you away, didn't I? Such a fool... I was so angry..."

Roderich sighed again and tentatively pulled the blond close into an embrace, another smile flickering across his shaking lips when Vash wrapped his arms around him in a grip of steel.

"We were both fools," Roderich admitted quietly.

"...Is that an apology?"

"It's the closest either of us is going to get to one, isn't it?"

Vash chuckled somehow and pulled away, his cheeks flaring a bright red when his lips brushed against Roderich's skin.

"I'm never letting you go again, Roderich," he snarled. "Never again, do you hear me? And I swear, if you try and leave me I'll- I'll just-"

"Shoot me?" Roderich guessed, his lips still turned upwards into a smile.

Vash only grunted and pulled him close again, his hands brushing gently through Roderich's short brown hair. The Austrian muffled a moan when the prince's fingers came too close to his curl and pressed a quick kiss to Vash's expectant lips, his own cheeks flaring the brightest of pinks.

"...There's another reason why I returned, Vash," he admitted quietly.

Vash made a noise that was half-chuckle, half-sigh and nodded, his grip tightening around the slender Austrian. "I suppose I expected that. What is it?"

Roderich hesitated and glanced over Vash's shoulder to where Alfred, Lovino, and the Kirkland brothers were waiting, his eyes narrowing when he saw Alfred and two of the brothers shooting him enthusiastic thumbs-up.

"There are some people who need our help," he whispered.

"Who?" Vash asked warily, his jaw clenching when Roderich slowly pulled away from his embrace.

"...They're pirates."

**Yay! Two updates in, um... However many days its been since I updated my other story! (Yeah... not good with days. Seriously, I suck at them.) Anyways~ Thanks to the people who reviewed the last chapter, you guys are so awesome!**

**In case you were wondering, James is Scotland, William is Wales, and Cian is Ireland (I think I might have explained that earlier but... Yeah, I don't really care). And Matthias is Denmark, and Emil is Iceland. I didn't really put this in there, but Norway's name is Lukas in this so... Yeah, I think that's everyone.**

**Well, hope you enjoyed~ And Happy late Easter!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Prince Vash's fingers tightened around the smooth wooden railing of his flagship as the vessel broke through another swell, his mouth twisting in an expression that was half-anger, half-discomfort.

"...Damn, I hate the sea," he muttered, his pale cheeks tinged with the smallest hint of green.

"You didn't _have_ to come with us, Vash," Roderich pointed out flatly from his place beside the prince, his violet eyes narrowed appreciatively as Lukas, the prince's Norwegian guard, effortlessly guided the large ship in the direction that Roderich and Alfred had given him. "You could have stayed back at the manor with your sister."

Vash merely growled, his hand briefly leaving the railing to clutch at Roderich's uninjured arm as the ship rode another wave.

"...'m not going to let another damn pirate shoot you," he grumbled. "I told you..."

The Austrian bit his lip, his cheeks flushing a deep scarlet color as he returned the Swiss man's tight grip.

Far above the deck, Alfred stared down at the two noblemen from his place in the rigging, his mouth curving into a bitter smile. He stiffened when he felt someone nudge his shoulder and glanced up towards the Scotsman that was perched among the sails beside him.

James rolled his eyes at the blond's clueless expression, his own jade eyes narrowing protectively beneath his brilliant red hair.

"...Ye never did explain to us why ye wanted ta rescue Artie so badly," he pointed out slowly. A wicked grin appeared on the older man's face at the sight of Alfred's immediate blush and he shoved at the boy again. "'Course, I suppose we didn't really need ta ask..."

Alfred's blush deepened and he turned away, his brilliant blue eyes sweeping across the azure horizon for any sign of the ship that had taken Arthur away. He couldn't help the small smile that flickered across his features at the sight of the other ships that had flanked their own, their masts alive with the red-and-white flags of Vash and Lili's kingdom. Apparently, Prince Vash didn't slack off when it came to safety.

"...I just want to make sure that he's okay," the blond insisted. "It's my fault that he's in this mess..."

"Ye care about him," James pointed out, his tone almost lazy as he watched the younger man.

Alfred hesitated before nodding slowly, his eyes tightening behind his glasses.

"Doesn't make much of a difference now," he muttered. "Arthur probably hates me."

James shrugged, not quite able to hide his own pain at the thought of his brother.

"If it's any consolation, mate," the Scotsman sighed. "I doubt he'll be too happy to see us, either."

Alfred didn't reply for a moment, his thoughts flickering back to the look on Arthur's face when the pirate had told him about his brothers, when he had ducked his head and admitted that he didn't think that the siblings missed him.

"I guess we'll just have to see what happens," the blond sighed after a moment.

James glanced at Alfred and grinned ruefully before ruffling the younger man's short hair.

"Aye," he chuckled, his eyes suddenly darkening to a dangerous green beneath his tangled locks. "Right after I murder the bastards that hurt my brother."

Alfred frowned, his fingers tightening around the rigging when a loud shout rang out from the deck below them, his eyes locking immediately on the shadowy ships that had barely appeared on the horizon.

"Make sure to save some for me," he muttered darkly.

USUK*USUK*USUK

Arthur Kirkland flinched when the door to his prison slammed open, his emerald eyes narrowing dangerously when Francis strutted into the room, Alejandro and Sadik by his side.

"_Bonjour_, _mon cher_," he greeted the Brit cheerfully. The Frenchman paused for a moment, his light blue eyes flickering to the Spaniard that still crouched at the other end of the cell. "Ah, Antonio, you do not look well, _mon ami._"

Antonio lifted his head, his dull green eyes burning with a desperate fury.

"You will look worse the moment you let me loose, _amigo_," he growled, his voice hoarse.

Francis chuckled and motioned for Alejandro to roughly pull the Spaniard to his feet. Sadik moved after a moment, his strong arms wrenching Arthur out of the cell. Francis smirked and lead the way out of the cell, his smile widening at the sound of Arthur and Antonio's repressed grunts of pain as the two captains were shoved mercilessly through the bowels of Francis's ship.

The strange procession stopped as it stepped out onto the deck, the sunlight slamming mercilessly into the eyes of the two prisoners. Arthur's frown deepened when he caught sight of his crew assembled near the middle of the deck, their familiar faces scattered among the tanned profiles of Antonio's crew. Said Spaniard froze when he caught sight of an Italian with auburn hair in the midst of the crowd, his green eyes slipping closed in pain.

"L-Lovi..." he whispered, his breathless voice barely audible to Arthur's ears.

The British man shoved aside any feelings of pity that he might have felt for the other captain, his hands clenching into fists at his sides when Sadik released him and stepped away. Francis turned away from Arthur for a moment, his thin lips curving up into a welcoming smile as a tall man with platinum-blond hair and flashing violet eyes stepped up to him, his large hands clenched protectively around the shoulders of another man...

Arthur gasped and took a shaky step forward, his knees nearly collapsing beneath him at the sudden movement. Francis glanced over his shoulder with a wicked smile and retreated to the Brit's side, his slim fingers brushing through Arthur's tangled hair. Arthur snarled and slapped the Frenchman's hand away, his emerald eyes still locked onto the delicate blond that leaned back in the protective embrace of the platinum-blond behind him.

"Did Alfred not tell you that he had a brother, _mon cher_?" Francis purred, his soft hands returning to Arthur's hair despite the Brit's objections. "_Mathieu_ certainly looks remarkably like his brother... Or, he did, I suppose."

The boy, Matthew, stiffened and started to take an uneasy step towards the Frenchman, only to be held back by the man behind him.

"W-what d-did you do to m-my brother?" he gasped, his quiet voice somehow managing to ring through Arthur's ears like a gunshot.

Francis hummed and glanced down at Arthur. "_I_ did nothing," he murmured. "But Arthur... Well, what did you do to little Alfred, Arthur?"

Arthur shook his head slowly, his eyes still locked on Alfred's brother, his shoulders trembling as those lilac eyes bored into his own with a fierce anger that the Brit had seen occasionally in Alfred's cobalt-blue orbs...

"Arthur?" Francis purred. "Is there something that we should know?" The Frenchman's fingers tangled themselves in the Brit's hair and yanked his head upwards, earning a sharp cry from the other man. "Or perhaps... There is something that you do not wish for us to know? I did find it quite strange that you were defeated so easily. After all, if you had already figured out that Alfred was a traitor and killed him, surely you would have been more prepared, _non_?"

Arthur stayed silent, his muscles trembling with a sudden rush of adrenaline as the Frenchman's nails continued to dig into the delicate skin of his scalp. A sudden thought rushed through his brain, as frantic and desperate as it was true.

_I can't tell him... No matter what happens... He can't find Alfred... I won't let him kill the boy._

The Brit barely had time to wonder why he was suddenly so desperate to protect the boy that had betrayed him before he was thrown to the ground by a sharp shove from Francis. Captain Bonnefoy crouched over the Brit, his light blue eyes flashing with a fury that was not quite free from fear.

"Where is he, Arthur?" the Frenchman hissed.

"Why do you want to know?" Arthur spit, his lips parting in a silent groan when the other pirate lashed out with his foot and caught the Brit in the stomach.

"Because~" Francis purred, his face lowering until it was inches from Arthur's. "It is _so_ important to the rest of my plan. I needed them to fail, you understand. I needed you and Antonio alive to be my witnesses to _Prince Vash's_ poor assassination attempts, needed your wounds to rile up the pirate community and send them to my side once you died despite my _desperate_ attempts to heal your wounds. Then, with the pirates of the world at my side, I can finally overthrow that fool that has dared to try and destroy us. So you see, _mon cher_, if little Alfred were to escape, if he somehow got word to the other captains about my plans, all of this would be ruined, and the age of the pirates would be destroyed."

"That's why you killed Carriedo's Italian brat," Arthur hissed, immediately drawing the attention of the devastated Spaniard.

Francis hummed and landed another kick to Arthur's abdomen, reducing the smaller man to another fit of coughs and groans.

"_Oui_," the Frenchman sighed dramatically. "It is such a shame... I had so hoped that I would be able to experience the fire of _le petit Italien_. However..." Francis paused and glanced back towards his other prisoners, his eyes brightening when he caught sight of Lovino's twin huddled against the side of a girl with flowing brown hair. "I suppose that I can make do with Feliciano~."

The Italian boy stiffened, his expression caught between a whimper and a furious glare. Only feet away, Ludwig bit back a protective growl and took a step forward, only to be held back by a stony-faced Gilbert. The albino reached up to hiss something in his brother's ear, his scarlet eyes locked on Francis and his two captive captains with a smoldering fury.

Francis ignored the exchange and ran a delicate finger along the side of Arthur's cheek, his lips twisting when the other man attempted to pull away in disgust.

"You still have not answered my question, _mon ami_," he whispered dangerously. "Where. Is. The boy."

"Wouldn't you like to know, frog?" Arthur snapped, his emerald eyes flickering back to Alfred's brother, who was now watching him with a sort of desperate hope.

A furious growl broke through the Frenchman's lips, his hands rising to beckon Sadik over to his side. The Turk came immediately, his eyes flashing with sadistic pleasure at the thought of more blood.

"Why do you protect him?" Captain Bonnefoy demanded. "Why to you refuse to take your revenge on the boy that betrayed you when it will only bring you more pain in the end?"

Arthur only shrugged, not sure that he could answer the question if he tried. He closed his eyes as Francis gestured for Sadik to draw closer, the image of Alfred's sunburst smile emblazoned behind his eyes like a scar. He felt something within him warm at the image, his mind flickering once again to that terrible day when he had held the younger man's bleeding body in his arms and prayed that he wouldn't die, remembering the joy and the pain when the lad had opened his eyes and smiled, only to become horrified when he learned that Arthur had avenged his wounds. And then... Arthur gasped and shuddered as Sadik began to attack his battered body with kicks and punches interspersed with the harsh strikes of a whip. Sharp cries of outrage and concern erupted from his crew, driving Arthur further into his mind and its roiling memories, to the warm feeling of trust and... _affection_- not love, dammit!- that had spread across his tensed, distrustful muscles like a soothing balm as he told his life story to a boy that he had barely met.

Another strike from Sadik, another swipe of the whip. More shouts from the crew and an objection ripped from a foreign throat.

"Francis! Stop this, you will kill him before you get the answers that you want!"

"_Taisez-vous_," Francis snapped. "I do not need your opinion here, Ivan. I gave you your boy so long as you agreed to follow my rules. Do not make me rethink my offer."

Arthur's eyes opened in time to see the tall man, Ivan, push Matthew behind him, his violet eyes glowing protectively. Seemingly out of nowhere, two women with hair the exact shade of platinum-blond appeared at his side, their slim hands clenched around the hilts of their swords. Four men appeared behind them soon after wards, although Arthur couldn't help but note that three of them were trembling too much to be much of a threat.

"Just try to take him, Francis," Ivan snarled.

The Frenchman smirked. "With pleasure, Ivan." The Frenchman snapped his fingers, his smirk widening when Alejandro and Belle moved several other members of Francis's crew into position around the Russian pirates. Ivan snarled and unsheathed his own sword, his brow furrowing in apprehension when he saw the guns that were aimed behind him at Matthew and his sisters.

"Let's see if you can defeat bullets, _mon ami_," Francis purred. "Although I highly doubt that you are _that_ invincible."

Ivan only snarled and struggled to move in to a better protective stance, his violet eyes flickering frantically between his crew and their opponents. Francis chuckled and returned his gaze to the battered Brit that was sprawled on the deck, his lips curling in displeasure when Arthur looked back at him with calm emerald eyes.

"I will give you one last chance to tell me the truth, Arthur," the Frenchman murmured. "Where is the boy? What is the point of you protecting him when it only results in more pain for yourself?"

Arthur couldn't help but smirk, remembering when he had said something similar to Alfred shortly after the younger blond had finally regained consciousness.

"...Are you speaking from experience, or have you never actually tried to help someone, Francis?" he whispered, echoing Alfred's own words.

The Frenchman snarled and lashed out with his foot, shoving Arthur closer to the edge of the deck. Francis paused to consider the Brit, his hand slipping down to the pistol on his belt. Behind him, Antonio straightened in the arms of his captors and started to struggle, only to freeze as his green eyes locked onto a point on the horizon.

"Fra-" he began, the words dying in his throat when he felt a firm hand on his shoulder.

The Spaniard glanced up, his eyes narrowing in fury when he saw Gilbert leaning over him. The albino winced and tightened his grip, his scarlet eyes boring desperately into Antonio's angry green.

"_Bleiben Sie ruhig_ (**Stay quiet**)," he urged. "Trust me."

"You killed L-Lovi," Antonio hissed, not quite able to keep his voice from cracking on the fallen Italian's name. "How could you?"

"You need to trust me, Tonio," Gilbert insisted. "Please. You know me."

"I knew Francis, too," Antonio murmured.

Gilbert hissed and reached out to grasp the front of Antonio's ragged shirt, his expression desperate.

"I'm not Francis," he growled. After a moment, he added "I'm too awesome for that."

The Spaniard offered a small smile despite himself and glanced back at the horizon.

"...What is it?" he asked quietly.

Gilbert grinned. "My plan."

**Ok, am I the only one who absolutely adores writing Prussia? Well, anyways~ Sorry for the slight delay, but thank you for your patience! I think there will be about four or five more chapters in this story before it ends, just in case you guys were curious or anything.**

**Anyways, I hope that everyone is doing okay, and please leave a review! They make me so happy! Seriously, leave anything, I don't even care if you want to yell Vodka, Pasta, or Tomatoes! Just tell me what you think, m'kay?**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Gilbert's hand continued to clench around Antonio's hunched shoulder, his nails digging into the skin of the Spaniard's shoulder until the imprisoned captain had to bite back a hiss.

"_Amigo_," Antonio murmured, his emerald eyes widening in silent alarm as Francis slowly drew the pistol from his belt and aimed it at the battered Brit that crouched near the edge of the deck.

"Shh," Gilbert snapped. "Just... Just a little longer. They'll be here soon."

"Gilbert, we don't _have_ a little longer," the Spaniard snapped. "He's about to shoot him."

"I _know_," Gilbert growled. "But we need to wait-"

"If we wait, he'll be dead," Antonio snapped. The Spaniard straightened and drove his elbow back into the stomach of Alejandro.

Alejandro doubled over with a snarled curse and made to slam his fist into Antonio's face, only to be blocked and shoved away by Gilbert before he could so much as touch the imprisoned captain.

"Tonio-" he began, his scarlet eyes widening in panic when the Spaniard leaped to his feet and barreled towards Francis, his shoulder slamming into the Frenchman's back just as Francis pulled the trigger.

Arthur cried out, his slim hands clutching against the rapidly-blooming rosette of crimson that had begun to spread across his shirt. Francis snarled and turned on Antonio, his eyes flashing dangerously as the Spaniard slowly pulled himself to his feet, a thin trickle of blood running down his chin from a split lip. Antonio flashed the Frenchman a fierce smile, his deep green eyes eerily calm despite the weapons that were now pointed towards him by most of Francis's crew.

"Do you have a reason for this interruption, _mon ami_?" Francis asked silkily.

Antonio tilted his head to the side, a crooked smile making its way onto his lips.

"I don't have a reason for anything now, _mi amigo_," he whispered dryly. "Gilbert killed it when he shot _mi corazon_."

Francis smirked humorlessly and cocked his pistol, his fingers brushing tenderly across the polished metal of the trigger as he aimed at the Spaniard.

"Then... Allow me to put you out of your misery, Spaniard," he purred.

"Francis!" Belle screamed from her place near Ivan's crew, her eyes widening in alarm beneath her long dark hair. "There's a fleet of ships coming up on our starboard side!"

Francis spun around in alarm, his lips falling open into a perfect "O" when he caught sight of the mob of ships that were coming towards them, his periwinkle blue eyes drifting immediately to the red-and-white flags that snapped in the wind above each of the ships.

"_Mon Dieu_," he snarled, his expression twisting in fury.

Antonio chuckled. "Sorry, _mi amigo_. It looks like your plans aren't working out after all."

The Frenchman uttered a shrill scream of rage and turned on Antonio as the fleet drew closer, his eyes narrowed into slits as the first shots began to be fired between the enemy ships.

"_Die, bat__â__rd_," he snarled before firing the gun.

Antonio flung himself to the side as the shot flew past his ear, his boots slipping on the damp wood of Francis's ship. His eyes widened in shock as the ocean rose up to meet him from below, his lips parting to welcome the salt water that rushed into his mouth and choked his lungs with icy fire. He allowed his eyes to close and felt his lips curve into a silent, bitter smile.

_Lovino... Will I be with you now?_

From somewhere far above him, a shout rang out, its message muted in the pulsing chaos of the sea. There was a splash, a change in the current, a flash of fire as Antonio forced his eyes to open one last time. Fire... Fire and a golden yellow that could rival the sun as it burned into him, begging him to respond.

_….Mi corazon..._

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Elizaveta could only stare as the fleet surrounded the pirate ships, her wide green eyes slowly making their way up to the flags that were blowing in the wind. A startled laugh broke through her lips at the sight, earning her a shocked stare from the young Italian that she had held in her arms as he cried.

"V-ve, what is it?" Feliciano whispered fearfully, his hazel eyes flickering between the Hungarian woman and the blond German that was now rushing to his brother as the first gunshots were fired.

Elizaveta merely shook her head, her eyes traveling to the albino that was now watching the rapidly-approaching flagship of the fleet with a gleam of triumph in his scarlet eyes. Gilbert turned towards her, his pale lips curving into a tentative smile when their eyes met. The Hungarian laughed again and pulled Feliciano close as the ship shook and rattled from the force of a blazing cannon.

"It's his plan," she laughed. "Oh God, it's his plan."

The Italian's brow furrowed in confusion, his eyes widening when he heard a frantic scream from the flagship, his lips falling open in shock as a flash of auburn appeared at the prow of the enemy ship.

"_Fratello?_"

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Arthur slumped onto the damp planks of Francis's ship, his shaking palms still pressed against the flow of blood that continued to stain his shirt. He felt a smile rise onto his lips at the familiar sound of cannon-fire, the clash of steel against steel as the boarding began and swords met each other in the heat of battle. The sharp reports of rifle fire rose out of the chaos, crew-mates cried out orders and reassurances to their fellows. Someone called his name...

Wait.

"Arthur! _Arthur!_"

He knew that voice.

"Arthur, damn ye! _Arthur!_"

Those voices...

"_Dearth__á__ir_! (**Brother**)"

"_Brawd!_ (**Brother**)"

All of them...

The Brit forced his eyes to open just as they reached him, his emerald eyes, glazed over from exhaustion and blood loss, widening in shock as mops of scarlet, amber, and tawny hair flew towards him, identical green eyes wide and panicked as they took in the blood on his shirt. Another head of hair, golden and perfect except for the cowlick that bobbed in the wind that whipped across the sea, bright blue eyes that were terrified behind a pair of battered glasses...

Everything was dimming, except for that golden hair...

"_Arthur._" That was James, his rough, calloused hands pressing mercilessly against Arthur's wound in an effort to stop the bleeding. "Arthur, ye gotta stay with us, mate."

"Y-You're... I'm dreaming," Arthur croaked.

"No." William... The Welshman had moved to Arthur's shoulder, his usually-calm green eyes filled with fear as he gently brushed a few strands of Arthur's tousled gold hair off of his sweaty forehead. "No, we're here. I promise."

"I-I'm... S-sor-"

"Don' ya dare apologize," Cian snapped, his anger contrasting oddly with the fear in his expression. "I-It's us who should be apologizin'."

Arthur couldn't help but smile. "That... would be a first..."

"Well, ye won't hear it unless ye stay with us," James growled. "Now stay awake." The Scotsman glanced over his shoulder, his green eyes narrowing as he took in the chaos around them, the pulsing throng of battling pirates and sailors. "Alfred, Cian, make sure that no one bothers us."

Cian nodded and disappeared from Arthur's side. The Briton stiffened and struggled to lift his head, earning himself a reproving tsk from William.

"A-Alfred?" he whispered.

"Aye," James sighed. "The little twit found us and told us what was goin' on. Without him, we wouldn't ta made it here..."

Arthur frowned. That... That didn't make any sense... Did it? Alfred... Alfred would do this... for him?

_Not me... His brother..._

His brother.

"A-Alfred!" Arthur gasped, his emerald eyes suddenly wide and alert.

"I'm here!"

The Briton glanced up, unable to ignore the flash of warmth and... something that went through his body as his eyes made contact with those brilliant blue orbs, saw that nervous, sunburst smile.

"Y-Your brother... M-Matthew," Arthur growled, struggling to keep his voice strong and audible above the battle. "Francis-"

A shout, the clash of steel. A cloud of smoke and exhaustion passed over Arthur's eyes for the briefest of moments before disappearing.

Alfred was gone.

Arthur smiled bitterly and allowed James and William to gently lower him back onto the deck, barely noticing the pain that still throbbed in his wound. There was another pain, though... One that wasn't so easily ignored...

_I knew that he wasn't here for me..._

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Matthew Williams couldn't move.

Not that he particularly wanted to.

Ivan and his sisters had surrounded him in a protective shield of human flesh. Their flashing swords and smoking pistols created a cacophony of noise that would probably make them all go deaf in a few moments. Francis's pirates mixed with sailors in a mob that slammed against Ivan's protective barrier like the waves of the ocean, only to be driven back repeatedly by the Russian's sword and his sisters' fury. Occasionally, four other members of Ivan's crew would appear among the crowd, their swords and daggers brief glimpses of silver and scarlet as they attempted to cut down those that dared to attack their captain.

Somehow, the small, protective knot had been backed against the wall of Francis's cabin. Ivan's sisters had spread out to flank Ivan's sides, leaving the young Canadian with his back pressed against the wooden walls, his thin hands clenched into useless fists at his sides. Dammit... he was so useless... No wonder Ivan had left him behind.

_Stop... Don't go there..._

Matthew glanced up at the towering Russian, his violet eyes softening when he saw the way Ivan's jaw clenched in concentration, the tiniest hint of worry in his hard violet eyes, the protective stance that he had shifted into to keep their enemies at bay.

Except... There was one enemy that looked rather familiar...

Golden hair, a determined clench of the jaw that rivaled Ivan in its stubbornness, cobalt-blue eyes that flashed with fear, desperation, and fury, glasses that flashed in the hot sun and threatened to blind anyone that looked at it the wrong way.

"Alfred!"

There, Alfred had seen him. Matthew breathed a sigh of relief and ran towards his brother, not hearing the warning hiss that Natalya sent his way, never noticing Katyusha's frantic hands as she tried to pull him back into the safety of their ring. His eyes were locked on Alfred's his lips forming their first true smile since he had first been captured, a shocked peal of laughter erupting from his throat.

Alfred's eyes widened suddenly and darkened with concern, his strong arms shoved a group of men out of his way and he ran towards his brother, his mouth moving, forming words that Matthew suddenly couldn't understand. Another flash of blonde hair, lighter than his brother's could ever be, a glimpse of delicate blue eyes and features contorted in fury.

The flash of a blade. The sound of steel scraping against bone.

A cry of agony and denial that Matthew belatedly realized was his own.

Blood that spilled across boards already stained red by spilled blood.

The thud of a body making contact with the ground, accompanied by a chorus of cries and screams.

A pain that shredded through Matthew's heart and moved to his chest, engulfing him in a fire of fear and loss.

A tiny, reassuring smile that barely reached dimming violet eyes. Platinum-blond hair that was now stained pink with flecks of blood.

And Ivan's coat... ruined and stained by blood, the scarlet tip of Francis's sword cutting mercilessly through his side.

**Sooo~ Did I ever mention that I love cliffhangers? No? Well, now you know. *dodges bullets, vodka, and possibly tomatoes ***

**Anyways, I am sooo sorry that I'm really behind schedule with these updates. I kinda went to an anime convention (Zenkaikon 2012 man! I was one of the Russias!) and... Yeah, totally had no time to write. And before that... Uh, I don't remember what was before that but... Yeah, I'm really sorry for the delay. I promise, to make it up to you all, I will write another chapter for my American Valentine's fanfic, and will possibly write another oneshot if I have time, okay?**

**Thanks for the reviews! Tell me how much you want to kill me right now~**

**Hasta la pasta!**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Arthur heard the screams.

He wasn't sure how, would never really know why these particular cries rang in his ears, overwhelmed the hundreds, possibly thousands, of other screams and cries that had been assaulting his eardrums since the attack began.

Nevertheless, he heard them... Especially one...

"_No!_"

_Alfred_...

The Briton struggled into a sitting position, ignoring the snarls that James sent his way as the Scotsman tried to shove him back onto the deck. His emerald eyes swept across the deck, searching...

There.

Two heads of golden blond hair bent, scraps of a tan coat stained with blood barely visible between a pair of shaking arms, skin that was almost as pale as the platinum-blond hair resting on top of the head that was cradled in a slim lap.

Arthur felt the breath rush out of him, a bubble of undeniable relief rising inside of his chest when he saw the Alfred was unharmed, his relief tinged with pity as his gaze moved to the blond's brother, traveled down to the Russian that was bleeding in Matthew's arms.

Then he saw Francis.

"_Alfred!_"

Alfred's head shot up, his blue eyes locking immediately on the small corner of the deck where he had left Arthur with his brothers. Anxious emerald eyes met his, pale hands waved weakly, urging him to turn around. Alfred frowned and slowly turned his head, his eyes narrowing with surprise and fury when he saw that Francis was still watching them, his slim hands now curled around a second pistol while his bloodied sword lay discarded by his side on the deck. Alfred snarled and took a step forward, his own hands going to the pistol that William had forced him to accept before they left Prince Vash's ship.

He didn't move in time.

Matthew saw Francis coming.

His arms were still wrapped around Ivan as the Russian's breathing became increasingly shallow, his legs folded into a make-shift cushion beneath Ivan's head. The Russian's sword was still clutched in his shaking fingers, its blade still glittering in the sunlight despite the layers of dried blood that were caked on its surface. Matthew stared at the sword, his violet eyes moving from the weapon to meet Francis's cold periwinkle eyes. Fury, dark and scorching with its intensity, rose within him when he saw the stain of blood on the Frenchman's immaculate blue coat. _Ivan's blood..._

Alfred had seen Francis now, was moving to pull his own weapon as the Frenchman advanced on them, his pistol raised...

Matthew moved first, blood roaring in his ears as he yanked the sword from Ivan's shaking fingers. He paused to gently lower Ivan onto the deck before he rounded on Francis, the sword clutched uncertainly in his hands. The Frenchman paused in his advance, his head cocked to the side, a slow, predatory smile curving across his lips.

"Do you want something, _mon cher_?" he purred.

Matthew took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the weapon in his hands, ignoring the foreign weight of steel in his slim hands.

"I want you t-to pay, _fils de pute_ (**Son of a bitch**)," he growled.

The Canadian lunged with surprising grace, his blade slicing into Francis's wrist. The Frenchman gasped, his grip loosening from the pistol in his hands before tightening. He raised the weapon again, the barrel only inches away from Matthew's forehead. The Canadian crouched again, preparing to lunge, to draw more blood from the man who had made his life a living hell...

_CRACK_

Francis stumbled, his eyes widening in shock and pain before they dulled completely, his eyelids fluttering closed as his body fell to the floor with a dull thump.

Matthew stared down at the corpse, his eyes wide, his muscles trembling, the sword falling from his hands. He slowly raised his head, his round violet eyes locking tentatively on another blond that had remained on the attacking ship.

The man straightened and allowed his rifle to fall to his side, his sea-green eyes glowing with cold fury and triumph as he gazed down on Francis's body. His lips moved, his words inaudible over the continued grunts, shouts, and screams of the dead and dying, but Matthew understood.

"I-It's over..."

**Um... Okay, please don't kill me for how short this is! :O I swear I'll have a longer chapter next time, but... I just had to end this one here, y'know? So... Yeah! School is finally over, and I will- hopefully- have some extra time now! Yay!**

**And~ Yep, nothing else to really say here so... Later!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

_He knows we're lying..._

Prince Vash glared down at the small group assembled before him on the deck of his flagship, his sea-green eyes narrowed dangerously beneath his chin-length blond hair. Roderich stood quietly by the Prince's side, violet eyes glittering with amusement as he watched the Prince and his audience.

"So," Vash said slowly, his eyes sweeping across the group, waiting for someone to flinch. "They're all dead."

"Yep." Alfred shot the Prince a sad half-smile, his blue eyes meeting Vash's stubbornly from behind his glasses.

"Y-Yes," Matthew murmured, his violet eyes suitably bright with tears as he forced himself to look over the Prince's shoulder, his thin, shivering shoulders wrapped reassuringly in one of Alfred's arms.

"_Si_," Lovino spat angrily while his twin nodded silently by his side, their hands clasped between them with enough force to break bone.

"_Ja_," Gilbert drawled lazily, his arms thrown casually across the shoulders of a stony-faced Ludwig and an annoyed Elizaveta. "The Russian bastard finally died this morning."

Matthew flinched at the mention of Ivan and shot Gilbert a small glare. The Prussian albino replied with an apologetic half-smile before returning his gaze to the skeptical prince.

Vash's eyes narrowed again. "And the others?"

"They're all dead, _bastardo_," Lovino snapped. "Braginski, Kirkland, the French bastard, C-Carriedo..." The Italian's voice died and he turned away for a moment, his fingers tightening around his brother's hand as Feliciano shot him a look of sympathy.

"Really?" Vash murmured. "And... I suppose you expect me to just release the rest of their crews, to let waltz out of here onto their ships and sail away to steal more gold and alcohol and God-knows-what?"

The others raised their eyebrows and waited, their gazes locked onto the Swiss man with a furious intensity.

After a few long, excruciating moments, Vash sighed and ran a hand through his hair, his eyes shutting briefly with an almost-amused exasperation.

"I suppose you want to say good-bye to them before they go?" he guessed wryly.

The Italians and the blond brothers nodded furiously. Gilbert nodded as well after a moment, earning himself a surprised glance from Ludwig and Elizaveta. Vash sighed and gestured with his hands for them to go, his lips curving upwards into a small, reluctant smile as he turned back to Roderich, not even bothering to pay attention as the others walked away.

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"Uh, Jack? Can't... Breath... Dude..."

The Australian laughed and allowed Alfred to slip out of his farewell embrace, his dark green eyes gleaming beneath his sandy-brown hair.

"I'm goin' to miss ya, mate," he sighed happily as Alfred moved past him to awkwardly shake hands with a solemn Kate.

Alfred flashed Jack a grin and nodded, his smile widening as he pulled a stammering Kiku into a tight hug and allowed Yong Soo to strangle him with a tight hug while Li and Yao offered him small smiles and bows. Alfred winked at them, his expression darkening as he turned to the three Kirkland siblings that were waiting for him near the railings of Arthur's ship, their identical green eyes watching him carefully.

"Is Arthur...?" he began cautiously, his bright blue eyes searching theirs as his voice trailed off.

James shrugged and glanced over at William, who shook his head.

"Arthur is asleep," the Welshman said gently. "He's still recovering from his wounds..."

Alfred nodded, not quite able to hide his disappointment.

James sighed and stepped forward to clap Alfred on the back, his lips quirking upwards into a small flash of a smile.

"Cheer up, kid," he murmured. "At least now you and yer brother can go back ta your home, aye? Isn't tha what ye wanted?"

Alfred nodded slowly, his gaze flickering towards the door that led to Arthur's cabin.

"When Artie- _Arthur_ wakes up, can you tell him I said 'Good-bye'?" he asked shyly.

Cian rolled his eyes and nodded with a wry smile. "Yes, we'll tell 'im. Although why you decided ta love _Arthur_ of all people is beyond me. He's such a pain in the ass."

Alfred frowned and opened his mouth to deny any such feelings before he shrugged and offered the three brothers a quick wink.

"Maybe," he agreed with a chuckle. "But he's _my_ pain in the ass."

"Get outta here ye wanker," James groaned. "An' take good care of yerself."

Alfred nodded and walked back to where he had left the dinghy, his shoulders tensing as he prepared to leave the _Emerald Dragon_.

"So, will you be staying with him?" he asked quietly. "All of you?"

"Aye," James replied easily. "We won't be leaving our brother anytime soon."

"And all of the crew are staying," Jack added from his place beside Kate. "Don't worry mate, we'll take care of him."

Alfred nodded and cast one last glance towards Arthur's cabin before he left the ship, his fingers trembling as he rowed away for the last time and was picked up by Vash's flagship, his blue eyes locked on the floating shadow until it disappeared onto the horizon.

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Matthew was waiting for him on the deck, his light blond hair shifting in the wind as he stared at the horizon. Alfred frowned and followed his brother's gaze, his lips forming a small "O" of understanding when he saw a set of sails disappear into the distance.

"Ivan's ship?" he guessed.

Matthew nodded, his jaw clenching as his violet eyes became suspiciously bright.

"I d-didn't say g-g-good-bye," he murmured.

Alfred's frown deepened. "Didn't they let you?"

Matthew shook his head. "N-No, that's not it. Katyusha would have let me... I think N-Natalia would have l-let me too, b-but... Th-Then he wouldn't h-have left. H-He would have s-stayed with me."

"Is that a bad thing?" Alfred asked quietly.

Matthew chuckled dryly. "F-For me? _Non_. But... He t-told me that his sisters need him. A-and he has a c-crew. T-they all need him m-more than I do."

"So you let him leave," Alfred stated flatly, an unreadable emotion flashing through his eyes. "Did you think of asking what he wanted?"

Matthew flinched. "I-I was afraid that he w-would agree with me. I d-d-didn't want to say good-bye again." After a moment, the younger blond spoke again. "I'm a c-c-coward."

"We both are."

USUK * USUK * USUK

Alfred was speechless.

"T-Tony?" he gasped, his blue eyes impossibly wide behind his glasses.

The short, slightly-grey man nodded silently, his thin lips quirking up into what could almost be called a smile as he faced the siblings on the docks.

Vash had agreed to return Alfred and his brother to their original home before he returned to England, apparently oblivious to the fact that the Italian twins, the German brothers, and Elizaveta had disappeared around the same time that Carriedo's ship sailed away. The angry prince and Roderich had stayed long enough to gather additional supplies from Alfred's home before they sailed away, leaving the siblings alone to wonder what they would do.

And then...

"You took too long, bitches," Tony muttered.

Alfred laughed and nearly tackled the other man, his arms wrapping around Tony's thin, grey shoulders in a tight hug. Matthew laughed despite himself and joined the embrace, his violet eyes closing as Tony tentatively clapped him on the shoulder.

"Man, we missed you, Tony," Alfred sighed, his teeth flashing in the sun as he grinned down at the man. "Are you okay? How the hell did you survive the pirates?"

Tony shrugged. "I'm badass."

Alfred laughed again and reluctantly released the grey man, his eyes darkening slightly as he remembered their destroyed home. "Where are you living? I mean, they destroyed our house."

Tony simply shrugged again and started to walk, not even bothering to look over his shoulder to make sure that the siblings were following him. Alfred grinned and hurried after their friend, his hand wrapped securely around Matthew's wrist as he dragged the younger blond after him. Matthew yelped but allowed himself to be dragged along, a timid smile making its way onto his lips.

Tony walked briskly out of the small town that had sprung up around the docks, his lips quirking upwards into a small smile when the trio reached a large, slightly dilapidated lighthouse positioned at the end of the bay, his small grey fingers drumming excitedly against his legs as he turned to face the siblings.

"Here," he proclaimed simply.

Alfred gaped up at the lighthouse, his grip loosening around Matthew's wrist in shock.

"Damn," he whispered. "How the hell did you find _this_?"

"I didn't, dumbass," Tony scoffed. "He bought it for me."

"Who?" Matthew asked quietly.

Tony shot the younger blond an odd look. "...Who the hell-?"

"Matthew," Matthew sighed. "Alfred's brother."

"Oh."

"Tony," Alfred broke in, his eyes narrowed slightly. "Who bought this place for you? When did you get it?"

"A few days ago," the grey man reported lazily. "He found me living at the docks and offered to buy this shit-hole for me... Er, us. The bastard's still inside if you want to meet him."

Matthew and Alfred exchanged surprised looks before running towards the lighthouse. Alfred frowned as a cool grey hand fastened around his wrist and held him back, his blue eyes glancing at Tony in confusion as Matthew continued towards the lighthouse.

"Tony? What-?"

The grey man smirked. "You'll see, bitch."

USUK * USUK * USUK

In retrospect, Matthew probably should have wondered why Alfred hadn't already beaten him to the door. Really, he probably should have spent more time wondering who in their right mind would by _Tony_ anything, let alone a place to live.

Honestly, if Matthew really thought about it, running blindly into the old lighthouse was probably one of the stupidest things that he had ever done.

Matthew slowly opened the door, his violet eyes combing the dimly lit foyer for any signs of life. He stiffened as a low, nervous laugh came towards him from what he assumed was the living room, his feet shuffling forward hesitantly, his slim hands curling into tentative fists by his sides. He paused at the doorway to the room, his eyes locking on the small fire that was crackling merrily in the hearth, its flames creating a shadow of the man that stood before it, his head bent, his fingers playing anxiously with a long scarf that was wrapped around his neck above a long beige coat. At the sound of Matthew's approach, the man turned around, his bright violet eyes barely visible beneath the shadows cast by the fire and his white-blond hair.

Ivan Braginski smiled, his expression shifting between sorrow, uncertainty, and that sincere, childlike joy that only seemed to appear whenever he set eyes on the younger blond.

"Matvey," he sighed, his smile widening slightly at the sight of the blond's shock.

"I-Ivan?" Matthew gasped. "H-How- Y-you- What are you-?"

Ivan smiled again and stepped forward, his strong arms wrapping around the trembling Canadian. A low sigh of relief broke through his lips when Matthew failed to pull away. "You didn't say good-bye, you know."

Matthew made a sound that was almost a laugh and buried his face in Ivan's coat, his cheek brushing against the soft fabric of the Russian's scarf.

"I d-didn't want to let you go again," he whispered into the thick fabric. "I c-couldn't..."

Ivan frowned and tightened his grip on the younger man, his eyes slipping closed as tendrils of Matthew's soft blond hair brushed against his cheek.

"Who said that I would let _you_ go?" he demanded.

"I- But, your sisters-"

"Natalia proved that she could run a ship a long time ago," Ivan sighed. "And Katyusha will watch over her and the others. Both of my sisters have approved my decision."

Matthew raised his eyebrows, remembering the possessive glares that Natalia frequently sent his way whenever he got too close to her brother. He offered the Russian a timid smile, a small whimper breaking through his lips when Ivan brushed teasingly against Matthew's curl.

"I-Is this what you want then?" Matthew murmured. "You... want to stay?"

Ivan hummed and bent to press his lips to Matthew's forehead in a chaste kiss.

"I want you, da~?"

**Yay! Fluff! Okay, so... Um, I'm really sorry about the late update... again... But I do have a good reason! See, a Spanish exchange student is staying with us for a while, and I've been showing him around where I live and... Yeahh... But, I will try and update as often as I can because I love my readers~! Also, there should only be one more chapter of this, and then I'll get to work on the Spamano spinoff of this fic, mkay?**

**Please review and tell me what you think, okay? Love you guys~! (Yes, I am really hyper today... -.-)**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Arthur Kirkland's fingers tightened around the wheel of his ship, his emerald eyes flashing with irritation when he caught sight of the Japanese man eying him from the main deck.

Kiku allowed himself a small smile when their gazes met and motioned for the captain to join him. Arthur sighed, signaled for Kate to take the wheel, raised his eyebrows when James winked at the brunette as she passed, and made his way towards his first mate.

"Yes, Kiku?"

"Forgive me, Arthur-dono, but I... I have a question."

Arthur raised his eyebrows and gestured for the other man to continue, his brow furrowing in confusion when Kiku cast a nervous look over his shoulder towards... Wait, when the hell did that Greek start working on his ship?

"Arthur-dono."

Arthur's gaze snapped back to Kiku, his cheeks flushing at the other man's penetrating gaze.

"Ah, yes, your question... What do you want to know?"

Kiku hesitated for a moment, his brown eyes flickering back towards the dark-haired Greek that was lounging against the rails several feet away with a-

_Bloody hell, is that a cat on his head?_

"Why aren't we going back for Alfred-san?" Kiku asked quietly.

Arthur tensed at the mention of Alfred's name, his eyes narrowing dangerously as he struggled to shove images of the golden-haired boy out of his mind.

"Why would we go back for him?" he managed to ask coolly.

Kiku frowned. "He's part of the crew."

"He _left_ the crew, if you remember correctly."

"He came back," the Asian insisted.

"He left again."

"You didn't ask him to stay."

"_Why the hell would I ask him to stay?_" Arthur snarled.

Kiku simply stared back at the Briton with calm, knowing brown eyes.

"I think you know," he murmured. "You miss him, don't you?"

"I-" _Yes...Everyday... All the time..._ "It doesn't matter."

Kiku raised his eyebrows. "What?"

Arthur shrugged, a bitter smile playing across his lips as the bottom of his long scarlet coat scraped against his dark, salt-encrusted pants.

"It doesn't matter how I feel," he explained slowly. "If I miss him, if I wanted him to stay. It's not about me at all; it's about him."

"What if Alfred-san wanted to stay?" Kiku asked cautiously.

"He didn't," Arthur muttered, too tired to put any real anger into his voice. "He only wanted to protect his brother... That's the only reason he did any of this."

"I disagree."

"You- what?"

"I disagree," Kiku repeated stubbornly. "There is one thing that Alfred-san did that wasn't for his brother."

"Oh? What was that?"

"He left."

Alfred sighed and threw himself down onto the small sliver of beach that wrapped around the bottom of the lighthouse, his eyes slipping closed behind his glasses in an effort to reclaim the sleep that he had lost last night.

_God, that was awful... Guess that Russian bastard doesn't care that I can hear _every damn thing_ he does to my brother..._

Actually, come to think of it, Ivan probably didn't care. Neither did Tony, for that matter, although that wasn't much of a surprise.

_Am I the only one that cares about Mattie's innocence?_

"Probably," Alfred answered himself. He groaned rolled over onto his stomach, his nose wrinkling as the movement sent several grains of sand into his nose. Something that was probably a crab started to crawl over one of his legs, prompting the blond to grunt and blindly lash out at the creature before he rolled over again.

"Damn Russian bastard," he groaned.

_Please... You're just jealous_, an inner voice that sounded creepily like Jack whispered.

"Why the hell would I be jealous of _Mattie_?" Alfred demanded. "Ah shit, I'm arguing with myself... That's probably not good."

_Probably_, the voice agreed.

Alfred groaned again and cracked open his eyes, his gaze straying towards the ocean. He felt a familiar pain shoot through his chest at the sight of the empty horizon, his mind struggling to remember how long it had been since he had last seen the _Emerald Dragon_. Two months? Three?

_Too fucking long... That's how long it's been_...

The blond frowned and forced his eyes to close again, to block out the empty horizon. Another groan forced its way out of his chest when another image replaced the empty horizon behind his closed eyelids. Bright green eyes stared back at him from beneath large eyebrows half-hidden by tousled gold hair. Pink lips curved up into a rare smile that Alfred wasn't entirely sure he had ever seen, and-

Someone grabbed Alfred by the shoulders and yanked him to his feet. Alfred's eyes flew open, only to be blocked almost immediately by the rough fabric of a sack. The blond swore and lashed out blindly with his fists, his lips quirking up into a satisfied smirk when he was rewarded with a grunt and a muttered curse. The smirk quickly turned into a snarl when his arms were pulled behind his back and tied together with rope. Alfred snarled and struggled again, his elbows digging into someone's stomach with enough force to crack ribs.

"Hold... still... dammit..."

Alfred froze. "...Jack?"

"Aw shit..."

"_I told ya we should have left him on the ship!_"

"Why the hell are ye whispering _now_?"

"Cian?" Alfred grunted. "James? What are you-"

"Sorry, mate," Jack's voice sighed. "Trust me, you'll thank us later."

Something hard slammed into the back of Alfred's head and sent a sharp flare of pain through his skull. Alfred grunted and felt his body lurch forward. Hands caught at his arms and shoulders and struggled to hold him upright, his legs scraped against the surface of the beach. Someone- was that Ivan's voice?- laughed.

_I wish they would stop knocking me out like this..._

Then the world went black.

Someone was poking him.

Alfred wasn't quite sure who was doing the poking- or _why_ for that matter- but he knew that someone was stubbornly poking his forehead.

And it was getting really annoying.

_Jack, I swear to God if you're poking me again..._

Alfred groaned and twisted his head away from the source of the poking, his arms reaching up to swat the offending finger away before it could poke him again.

Or, his arms tried to reach up to swat away the offending finger.

It was hard to move with rope tied around his wrists.

Alfred stiffened and opened his eyes... only to find them blocked by a blindfold.

"...What the-?"

Warm lips pressed against his own, swallowing the rest of Alfred's sentence. The blond gasped, his eyes widening beneath the blindfold as a foreign tongue took the opportunity to enter his mouth. Alfred hesitated for a moment before reaching out with his own tongue, his eyes slipping closed as a low moan escaped his throat.

Time froze- or flew- as Alfred gave in to the emotions coursing through his blood and clouding his thoughts. He leaned into the kiss, his bound hands struggling fruitlessly against the rope in an effort to touch the tendrils of soft hair that tickled his skin with every movement. Gentle, scarred hands brushed across Alfred's face, tugged teasingly at that one cowlick that had been a source of frustration for Alfred's mother, slipped beneath Alfred's loose shirt to play with the skin of his chest, his abdomen, his-

A loud groan broke through Alfred's lips when the other person pulled away.

"Arthur," he gasped, his wrists straining against the ropes binding his wrists.

He heard a sharp intake of breath.

"...How did you know it was me?"

Alfred grinned despite himself at the sound of Arthur's voice, his muscles relaxing instinctively as those calloused hands brushed across his skin once again.

"I... I didn't know for sure," he admitted. "I guess I just... hoped that it was you."

Another intake of breath. The hands on Alfred's skin paused for a brief moment, their fingers trembling.

"I see."

Alfred waited for a moment to see if the Brit would add anything, his smile faltering slightly when he was met with silence.

"So, not to complain or anything, but could you take this blindfold off?" he asked playfully.

Arthur chuckled and leaned forward, his warm breath tickling Alfred's ear. "Are you trying to tell me that you're not enjoying this?" he purred.

A warm chill slithered down Alfred's spine, prompting him to lean closer to the invisible Briton.

"I didn't know that you were into bondage," he gasped. "Kinda kinky, don't you think?"

Arthur snorted. Alfred felt slim fingers play with the back of his head, his blue eyes blinking sightlessly in the dim light that suddenly slammed into his eyes. A familiar pair of eyeglasses were slipped onto his features, bringing a certain emerald-eyed Brit into focus. Arthur smirked at Alfred, not quite able to hide the fear that flickered through his eyes as they met cerulean blue.

"Hello," Arthur murmured.

Alfred laughed. "Oh, now you say hello."

"Shut up, you git."

Alfred forced himself not to laugh, his expression sobering as he studied Arthur's expression for a silent moment.

"...Why am I here, Arthur?" Alfred asked quietly.

Captain Kirkland flinched at the question, his gaze suddenly unsure.

"Do you not want to be here?" he murmured.

"No," Alfred whispered. "I want to be here- I've _wanted_ to be here. I just want to know why... I want to know where we stand."

Arthur nodded thoughtfully. After a moment, he stooped to cut the ropes from Alfred's wrists, his green eyes intent as the taller blond pulled himself shakily to his feet. Alfred flashed the Briton a tentative smile.

"Thanks," he murmured.

"You are quite welcome," Arthur muttered, his pale cheeks flushing a light pink. "...I have a question for you."

Alfred raised his eyebrows and waited.

"Why did you leave the ship?"

"Which time?"

"The first time."

Alfred paused for a long moment, his brow furrowing as he considered his next words.

"Because... I couldn't kill you."

"Why?" Arthur pressed his eyes flashing with an emotion that Alfred couldn't read.

Alfred sighed heavily and turned away for a moment, his fingers tugging furiously at his hair.

"You told me about your brothers," he muttered. "You showed me who you were, who you _really_ were... You saved my life... And you're so-" He paused and tugged at his hair again, careful to avoid his persistent cowlick.

"I'm what?" Arthur pressed.

"...Everything," Alfred admitted quietly. "Amazing. You're just... Indescribable. In a good way."

Arthur chuckled, his eyes widening slightly as he realized that he had been inching closer and closer towards the other blond throughout their conversation. Alfred smirked at the same realization, his eyes soft as they studied the captain.

"So... What now, Artie?" he asked. "You have my answer. What are you going to do with it?"

Arhur considered for a moment, his lips curving up into a confident smirk that Alfred recognized immediately.

"The better question, Jones," he whispered. "Is what I'm going to do with _you_."

Alfred shivered again and grinned, his smile faltering for a moment as another blond flashed through his mind.

"Uh... About my brother-"

"He is aware of this arrangement," Arthur said dismissively. "I asked permission before I had you kidnapped, of course."

"Of course," Alfred grumbled. "And... He's okay with this?"

"He was under the impression that you would be happier here," Arthur mused. "Something about your new home having very thin walls..."

Alfred pursed his lips, his eyes glittering with amusement and another emotion, one that Arthur was very familiar with at the moment.

"Hey Arthur..."

"Wha-"

Captain Kirkland bit back a low gasp as Alfred nearly tackled him to the ground, his eyes widening in a rare show of shock as bright blue flooded his vision. Alfred simply smirked, his heart hammering with anticipation as he settled on top of the Briton. He leaned forward, his chest pressing ever-so-slightly against Arthurs, his hands reaching up to push the bright red coat off of the pirate's shoulders before they moved to the buttons of the smaller man's shirt...

"...I hope these walls are thicker," Alfred whispered.

"A-and if they're not?" Arthur gasped, his breath hitching as Alfred's hands traveled lower.

The larger blond smirked.

"Then I sure hope your crew doesn't mind the extra noise," he purred.

Kiku smiled and backed away from the door to Arthur's cabin, his muscles tensing for a brief moment as a pair of strong hands settled across his shoulders.

"...Well?" Heracles murmured sleepily, his question echoed in the eyes of the crew members that had assembled behind him.

"I think that we should leave them alone for a little while," Kiku replied simply. "Kate-san, if you would be so kind as to take the wheel?"

Kate nodded, her lips curving into a reluctant grin as Jack and Cian began to argue over a bet. Yao rolled his eyes and shoved Yong Soo and Li back towards the kitchen, his cheeks flushing an embarrassed red as Yong Soo loudly asked him what Alfred and the captain were doing. James and William exchanged pleased smirks before heading back to their usual posts.

Kiku simply smiled again and glanced back towards the port that the _Emerald Dragon_ had just left, his eyes focusing for a brief moment on the two blonds that were still watching them from the beach in front of the lighthouse. The Japanese man raised his hand in farewell, his smile widening when Matthew Williams returned the gesture before returning to his home with Ivan by his side.

"...Kiku?"

Kiku blinked and turned away from the lighthouse to look at Heracles, his eyebrows raised expectantly.

The Greek smiled.

"...Want to take a nap?"

**And... That's it. Hahaha, wow, I probably could have come up with something more awesome to say back there but... /shrug/. Anyways! Thank you sooooo much to everyone who has read/reviewed/favorited this story. You guys are amazing, and thank you so much for staying with me throughout my awful updating schedule. :D Also, this may or may not be my last update before I leave for Spain, although I'm going to try to get one last update in for either Stolen Lullabies or American Valentines. And, of course, I will get to work on the Spamano version of this story as soon as I get the chance.**

**Once again, thank you so much! Your support is what keeps me going.**

**-Luxio Nyx**


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